Author's Note: This is a fanfiction I started recently with a blind girl as an OC. She's been blind since birth, and I did all the research I could to make sure I get certain aspects about her right (what she dreams, whether or not she knows what something looks like just by feeling it, etc.), and I found some of the information either unhelpful or very helpful. This chapter basically just introduces her, and also her interest in wanting to know what color is (I did research on this and couldn't figure out much from it other than people who used to see and then became blind know what color is and what they are), as well as explaining little bits and pieces of what she looks like as far as shape goes.
Anyways, enough of my boring author's note. Onward!

I don't own Xiaolin Showdown, only Delanie and her friend Lauren.

~Chapter One~
.Wind.


Delanie never understood why anyone would wonder what it was like to be blind. It wasn't anything special; just darkness constantly surrounding you along with noises and smells. Other than that, it was nothing.

At least, that's what she'd tell people.

Delanie hated being blind. It wasn't enough to have your vision shrouded by a curtain of nothingness, but her hearing was beyond impeccable. Most people would believe that to be a good thing, but they would loathe it, too, if they could hear the horrible conversation about last night's "special alone time" described in great detail from all he way across the room.

To make things worse, Delanie was unable to get herself to eat anything due to a mean prank someone had pulled on her by giving her a spoiled chocolate milk. Because of that incident, she often refused to eat anything that didn't smell like meat, which she only could come across every couple of days during supper.

Not only was Delanie blind and had the ears of a rat, but also anorexic.

Guys at her school would occasionally ask her to go on a date (which she always refused), but she never knew why. Was she pretty? Were they just being nice? Delanie didn't know, nor could she care less. All that mattered to her about her looks was that someone was with her to help her shower, buy clothes, dress herself, and make sure she eats something, even if it was just a little thing like a strawberry or a carrot.

If anything about being blind bothered Delanie the most (besides her hearing), it was when everyone mentioned color. She longed to know what red was, what blue looked like, and what it was about the color yellow that always made people feel happy. She especially wondered what pink was; the sound of the word made her feel warm and bubbly inside.

Not even that one word, though, could convince Delanie to get off the roof of the parking garage.

"Delanie," her friend, Lauren whined, "come on, we do this every other Saturday night: you feel depressed, ask me to drive you here, stand near the short little wall for a minute or two, then ask if we can go get a steak at Outback, to which I have to say 'No, I don't have enough money', and then I take you home."

"It's different this time," Delanie responded, carefully lifting one foot up onto the wall, followed by the other as she slowly stood on its edge. "I'm not turning back."

"Oh stop being so dramatic, of course you will." Lauren sighed and shook her head. "And when you do, I'll take you home and never bring you back up here no matter how much you beg me."

"Don't worry..." Delanie turned her head downward and sniffled. "...I won't trouble you any further."

"Wait, you're not serious... are you?"

She turned her head to the side, wishing she could see her friend. "I'm sorry... You've always been there for me and very kind to me. You make me smile and laugh, and you take care of me when things get rough." She turned her head forward again, tears slowly running down her cheeks. "It's because of these things that made me realize how much I've been a burden as well; because of my blindness, I can't do anything to repay you. The only way I can is if..." She slowly turned her back to the city. "...is if I go..."

"Delanie..." Lauren reached for her hand. "Don't do this..."

She slowly smiled and spread out her arms. "Thank you... for everything..."

"DELANIE!!!"

She never imagined that would be the last thing she heard before she leaned back and fell.

Down...
Down...
Down...

Delanie couldn't help but feel like she was at peace. The wind whipping her hair in all directions and whistling in her ears, her stomach fluttering. She closed her eyes, anxious to reach the ground below.

Faster...
Farther...
THUD.

...Direction change?

"Is she dead?" A high-pitched voice with a vague sense of worry reached Delanie's ears. A little kid?

"No, I don't think so." Another voice, female this time.

"What's wrong with her eyes?" A male with a thick Brazilian accent asked, forcing one of her eyelids open.

"She's blind, Rai." Another male, his voice heavy with a Southern Cowboy accent.

"Dojo," the high-pitched voice spoke again, "is she...?"

"I dunno, kids." Delanie felt like laughing; this voice made the surface beneath her vibrate.

"Let's take her to the temple," the girl piped. "Master Fung will know what to do."

Delanie sighed heavily, believing herself to be dead. She slowly fell asleep, unaware that she was on her way to the adventure of a lifetime.

All right, that's it for the first chapter. ^-^ What do you think? Lemme know if there's anything that needs improvement (spelling/grammar, character development, etc.) and I'll post up the next chapter in a week or so. Hope you enjoyed it~!

~Coming up next~ Chapter Two: Earth
Delanie meets four monks who call themselves "Xiaolin Dragons", an evil boy genius, and finds out just how extraordinary her hearing really is...