Ah there's nothing like a happy family dinner right? Well I'm glad to see feedback for the last chapter to say the least. As for Eren and the crew destroying the world, it'll only happen if the world comes at them first. The world hates them, but I still feel that we're being lied to even now regarding the history of Eldia and Marley. If you wish I'll pm or explain my theory about the true story in a authors note in a chapter or two. Well I've rambled enough. As usual drop a review. Let us begin.

Heaven and Paradise.

"And then I was just about to get hit by a lead ball, when Galliard saved me with his Jaw titan power!"

Like Reiner had predicted earlier on the way to Liberio, Gabi was busy telling her parents, his mother and a few others about her actions in the war. Reiner merely kept a neutral smile at the girls enthusiasm in order to hide his own musings about being back "home". But at least the rest of his family were praising her on, especially her parents. "That's amazing!" he hears her mother say, tears of pride falling from her eyes. Reiner sees her father holding and ruffling her head, declaring "Your the savior of the Eldians!"

Reiner almost snorted at that last part, but in an abstract way he supposed that her father was right about that part. Gabi would be a savior to their race, but she certainly won't be the one leading them all. Reiner has a very clear idea of who most likely will be, and hopes that once he gives Gabi the truth and power, that she can help lead them into the light.

Of course he will have to put in his own contributions, mainly his life and the power of 9 that he weilds. His mother turned to him and asked a question, a vital one that he has to be careful in how he words his answer. "Do you think Gabi will be able to become a warrior, Reiner?"

He looks to Gabi first, to her parents, and before settling his eyes on his mother, and finally replied after a moment. "...Yes, based on the military achievements this time around, I have no doubt that she's guaranteed to inherit the Armored Titans power." Reiner noticed Gabi's face redden at the deep praise he'd just given her, and he allowed himself to give a genuine smile at that. Even if it's misplaced, the sentiment behind it is enough for her, and good enough to him for now.

His mother had a proud if somewhat weary look on her face, her eyes proud as she then speaks fondly of Gabi and himself. "That's good, it's incredible that our clan was able to offer up two warriors. I'm very proud of you two for being able to get Marley to notice you." He kept his false smile at his mother's praise, but he was starting to get ticked at still being seen as a warrior to them.

But of course they couldn't be allowed to know what he was really thinking. Otherwise he'd be getting arrested and then eaten by either Gabi if she weren't accused of treasonous thoughts, or Falco based on the boys drive and skill to save Gabi. But his smile melted like ice under a large flame at his mother's next words, and his gaze hardened to be as cold as Annie's crystal.

"Now if only those dammed island devil's would disappear, then we good Eldians would be able to live in happiness."

Reiner averted his eyes from her, hiding one of his fists clenching under the table. The other he leaned his chin on, staring at the pattern of the wooden table to distract his mind from the sudden change in topic. He took slower but quiet breathes to control himself. 'Your brainwashed, all of you. You don't even know that those people were innocent, ignorant to the truth.They were the farthest thing from devils. And I was sent to them, because of the lies I was raised on!' He sees Gabi giving reassurances to his mother, her own naive determination showing.

"It'll be alright Auntie Karina, us from the warrior unit will protect all the Eldians from those devils. Don't worry!" He flinches as he sees that fire in her eyes, the determination that he foolishly once held in his own. He wanted to become a warrior to protect his mother, to reunite his family. To exterminate the island devils and protect the world...only to discover the same day he left that his marleyean father hated and wanted nothing to do with him or his mother. To discover and experience for half a decade that the people of Paradise weren't devils or a threat at all, that they didn't even know other people exsisted outside the walls. That they were hated for in fact saving a portion of the Eldians race from utter and complete genocide.

Reiner had been too deep in his musings that he almost didn't catch himself being brought into the conversation by Gabi's father. "..even though you had the power from Marley, the nation with the greatest military power.." her father trailed off but Gabi spoke up then to defend Reiner, giving him the chance to collect his thoughts.

"Stop it, you know we can't ask him about that. It's not something he can really talk talk about, no one but the Marley officers are to know. Besides, it's hard on Reiner too." Hearing Gabi trying to help him reminds him of all the people in his life who came to his defense, came to help him.

'No.'

Reiner speaks up, his tone serious but not cold. It was more like the one he talked to Eren with after his reveal in the giant trees. "No it's fine, there are some things that I can tell you. I infiltrated the army on that island and...it was truly Hell."

'It was Hell because I helped make it that way. Me, Bertoldt and Annie, all pawns of the people who made that island Hell.' He thinks and continues, trying not to smile at a memory he's then thinking of.

"Everyone there really was a devil, all of them were cruel and barbarous. Like at the induction ceremony, when someone suddenly started eating a potato." He says, careful not to say the name of the red headed girl with a food craze he came to be best friends with. 'Sasha.' He continues in a mocking tone, but to them it still sounds dead serious. "When our intructor yelled at her for it, that person replied with a completly remorseless answer. She said it looked yummy, so she stole it."

Reiner would never forget the look of utter defiance he'd seen on Sasha's face that day, the girl hadn't looked perturbed at all under the hard gaze of his old intructor Shadis. He continues "But as wicked as that person was, they still recognized their wrongdoing. So they said they would give half of the potato, in an offer to bribe the intructor. However the person didn't even break off half in the first place to give over."

He still remembers the look of utter confusion on Shadis face when Sasha gave him "half" of her potato. 'Hmpf Half, more like a tenth.' He cleared his head, still keeping his composure and continuing "And that's because the person didn't have any intention of sharing it in the first place." He paused and noticed Gabi staring at him, puzzled at what he was saying. He went on, unaware of the slightly sad tone creeping into his voice. "They were truly...a bunch of hopeless bastards.

'They were my best friends.'

"I met idiots who went to the bathroom and forgot about why." 'Connie wasn't the brightest, but he pulled through when people needed him.'

"A selfish bastard who thought of no one else but himself." 'Jean was selfish in the beginning, but we still got along. He changed during and after Trost, he became a leader. And I know he changed his regiment because of what happened to...'

"A selfless bastard who cared too much about those around him." 'Poor Marco, someone who should've just been somewhere else. His kindess and wanting to see the safety of his comrades is what got him killed. My carelessness is what killed him.'

"A person driven by revenge who was known as a suicidal maniac, and the close friends who followed him." 'The Shinganshina trio, the people who made the biggest difference against us, against Me. Eren who was like a brother to me, who I helped the most. Mikasa, the deadly girl who was foolishly in love with him, who tried and nearly killed me twice. Armin, the genius with the intellect to destroy or discover whatever he wished. The one who managed to defeat Bertoldt, by sacrificing himself.'

"And also..." he began as he recalled the two goddess he met there. One he loved, one he doomed. Both were different, but both had bonded with each other, because in ways they were the same. 'Historia, Ymir.'

He hastily covered up his hesitation by referring to him and the other warriors, His lost friends. "Amongst that diverse bunch...there was Us." He began to say, looking away from his family, trying not to seem depressed at the memories he held inside. But he fails as he looks back up to them, his eyes hard as his titan's armor. "My days spent there...were truly Hellish."

His eyes widened at bit as he saw everyone looking at him in shock, and his mother looked scared. He tried to brush off the change in atmosphere by saying "Sorry...I spoke too much. Forget I said anything." But things weren't going to be that simple as Gabi naively asked him a question, not understanding. "What do you mean a diverse bunch? They...they were all bad guys, weren't they?" He looked away at that, trying to keep himself in control. As much as he wants to tell her the truth more than anything, now isn't the time. Not yet.

His mother instead began frantically speaking to Gabi like she would to Reiner when he was a child, the way she brainwashed him into being loyal to this scum of a country. "That's right Gabi, the people on that island are demons. Demons who want to turn the world into hell, who built their own Utopia on a mountain of bodies." Reiner eyes hardened once more as his mother starts preaching the same bullshit she did him to Gabi.

"But we are different. We Eldians of the country must offer up our lives to atone for the gruesome sins we committed against Marley, for we are the righteous race. We don't know when those Islanders will make a move to destroy the world with their Titans. But we Eldians are the only ones capable of stopping them, and once we do that, the rest of the world will see good in our race and accept us." He sees Gabi just blindly accepting it, just like he did. He spoke once more to Gabi directly, to reposition his cover.

"That's right Gabi. That's why I'm telling you this, soon you'll be going there too. If you feel curious or have questions, come talk to me. I'll tell you everything you need to know, and I want you to be ready."

And with that, dinner ended.