Tamru pushes his hands at you as if to splash you playfully. "Call me a sucker for subverting the proper political process," he says. Then he gets serious. "It wasn't the fact that Cinza got let off the hook. It was more that the merfolk demonstrated a willingness to change. It just feels like things are going to turn out OK. Eventually."
As you smile back, you realize that he's right. Things are definitely going to turn out OK. Eventually.
Several years later, the time comes to inscribe Cinza's story on its own set of reading crystals. The stories tell the tale of Cinza's determined journey up on land and how Tephra bravely stopped her plans to destroy the Eternity Orb. But they also tell of Cinza's rehabilitation as she became the city's newest crystal-shaper. The story is peppered with warnings about how the whales disapproved, but the framing makes it clear that Cinza's dedicated fighting during the attack on the city redeemed her, even to the whales.
You, Arraia, and Estre are awarded honorable mentions as the heroes who helped her reform and realize the errors of her ways, who helped her seek her own redemption. You're the ones who inspired Cinza to set aside her personal struggle and reconcile with the needs of the many. You're revered for your ability to see and bring out the good in others. But there are some gaps left in the crystal itself, on the off-chance that Cinza eventually proves you wrong.
With a crystal-shaper on your side, you ask that the newest additions to the city include waterless rooms as accommodations for humans like Tamru, Faye, and any other humans who might eventually come down. Together, you, Cinza, and the humans design a place where they can easily and privately walk around freely. Maybe even cook and have amenities. It's a plan that will take a long time to implement, but that's fine with you. You want to take the time to make sure it's done right.
Your own life settles back into a routine that you find fulfilling enough. You're offered a choice between staying with city maintenance and rejoining the Everwardens, and you realize that as stressful as the job is, it just feels nice to be trusted as competent. You're even offered a council position, which you find amusing, even as you seriously consider the offer. Tamru urges you to take it, to work from the inside and make improvements, and you certainly see the wisdom to that, but you decide to take your time before making a decision. It's nice not to feel a driving urgency behind every single decision you make. You don't like the feeling of rushing into something you might end up regretting. You want to make this life as good as it can be. After all, you're going to be enjoying it for a long time to come.
End