Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/Zero or Puella Magi Madoka Magica. They belong to TYPE-MOON and SHAFT, respectively, and were both written by Gen Urobuchi.

Summary: He saw the image of a young boy, standing in the spot where this frail girl was desperately trying to throw away the gun in her hand…A young boy named Kerry, once full of smiles and endless dreams. A young boy he had killed a lifetime ago…and Kiritsugu could not help but weep inside at the cruelties Fate placed upon its children.

Author's Note: Some of the oneshots collected here will be tied to The Bullets of My Gun, but not all. As of November 30, 2015, I have edited this 'chapter' and cut out my word vomit from 2 years ago. If you are a new reader and are confused about what the reviews are talking about, just know that I posed a question 2 years ago that has long since been answered.

Down to Zero We Go

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She Has a Past

Witches.

He hated them, but they came nowhere near the level of sheer, unadulterated hatred he held towards the Incubator responsible for them.

That furry devil had manipulated his only daughter into a contract, preying on the love she held for her parents before eventually watching her turn into one of those monstrous, Lovecraftian creations; a cruel mockery of everything she—they—fought for. If only her wish could have at least been put to better use…!

…No. Perhaps it was for the best. Because now…

Now he could warn others of the truth behind the Incubator's honeyed words.

He grit his teeth, trying not to think of his beloved daughter's crimson eyes gazing up at him in open admiration, nor of his wife's loving touch on his cheek, a gentle murmur caressing his ear during his more vulnerable moments.

"I wished…that Mommy and Daddy could see the world of the Puellae Magi!
That way, you could finally believe what I've been saying all this time!
And…maybe Daddy could even…help me out sometimes?"

It was unnerving how much his client had been able to look into him. He wasn't sure exactly how much his client knew, but even so, he loathed being manipulated—even if, admittedly, this mission aligned with his own personal interests. His client knew of his hatred for Witches and the names of two particular individuals—that was more than enough, not including whatever else was dug up. The man he had hired to wipe his information from the world's databases would need to be disposed of later for his incompetence…or fired, at least.

I knew I should have hired that Oswin girl instead…

Emiya Kiritsugu frowned, suddenly wondering if his consideration to fire that bungling 'hacker' instead of disposing of him quietly was a sign that he was growing soft. No…he thought, turning away from the bloody scene before him and resting a hand on the Calico hanging at his side, ready for any more surprises the night might still spring for him. He could still hear the distant sounds of battle between the Puellae Magi and the Witches, in the form of pulsations rippling through the air—mere echoes of the fighting taking place within the Barriers.

It is simply the moment. Right here and now, that I feel charitable.

"You…You're a good person, aren't you?"

The voice was quiet and broken, emotion subtly seeping away, just like the innocence that no longer existed there.

It is because of her that I am feeling awfully generous today…Damn my empathy.

"I'll get you away from the city. From there, you can decide what you'll do," Kiritsugu gruffly answered, sneaking a glance over his shoulder as he repeated the words spoken to him many, many years ago by someone in a similar position as he. "Is there anything you want to bring?"

It was a useless question to ask, given what he had witnessed, but he asked anyway.

Akemi Homura still stood where she had been for the past few minutes, eerily motionless even as her father's blood continued to slowly drip from her right hand. The older Akemi in question was slumped against the wall in front of her, bullet holes riddling his chest and a pool of blood blossoming underneath him, seeping into the floorboards and glistening obscenely beneath the fluorescent lights.

"Just 'sometimes'? It sounds like a dangerous job."

"More like…as much as possible? It can get scary, fighting them all by myself."

Kiritsugu chuckled then, hugging Illyasviel close as his mind already raced ahead with plans to
fight these 'Witches' she had mentioned, ruffling her silvery hair reassuringly to calm the
trembling in her petite shoulders.

"You won't be alone anymore, Illya. Your fight has become your Daddy's fight."

His daughter laughed, clear and bright.

"I'm so happy…I made that wish!"

"Nothing, he heard the bespectacled girl say, her voice emotionless and dazed as she finally moved her head to look up towards the heavens, her twin braids swishing with the action.

"Nothing at all."

She Has a Past – END