She didn't know how long it was.
Between her last breath and the comforting darkness. Between screams and chaos and redredsomuchred that she coulnd't help but remember. Logically it was more than seconds, more than minutes. It could have been hours, or days, but she refused to think of the time as going past weeks, past months and years. Still, she knew something was wrong, floating in the darkness.
It was comforting.
But she didn't know how long it had been.
She had a family, she could remember that much. A sister. Maybe a brother? Definitely parents.
As she pondered these things, a bright light lit up her silent world. Curious, she attempted to stretch out her hands, but they didn't cooperate with her, so she settled for listening. Voices. She could hear many voices. Some were low, harsh and coarse. Like fingernails over chalk.
As the light came closer and glowed brighter, she could hear the voice of a woman. Smooth and melodic with a soothing thrum of power underlying it. There was a bright burst of fuzzy warmth and she knew no more.
Her mother held her in her arms, her precious daughter, with her bright blue eyes and a small tuft of already thick black hair. A tired but pleased smile lit up her face as she held her newborn daughter to her chest as the infant cried.
"There, there, my good girl. Your name is Kagome. Ka-go-me. Nice to meet you, Kagome-chan!"
At her words, the child's crying stopped and a barely noticeable glow shone briefly in her chest. Her mother smiled and laughed softly.
"Blessed by the gods, my Kagome-chan."