Adella of Burbank

Tony

The traffic was a bit heavy that day, and the sun was starting to set when they reached the beach. Adella looked at the ocean before her and felt a wave of dizziness. Normally she liked going to the beach, but after her encounter with the Fall Fairy and nearly getting killed by him, feeling her own mortality for the first time, she looked at the seemingly endless mass of water before her, endless and cold and dark...She imagined herself falling deeper and deeper into the cold deep darkness of the ocean and she shivered.

"Are you cold?" Johnny asked "Do you need a coat?"

"I was thinking about how cold and dark the ocean is." Adella said quietly

Johnny took her by the hand "Since you take so much after your Mom the Spring Queen." He said as he led her along "It's no surprise you don't like anything cold and dark...Bright colors of flowers and songbirds and warm sunshine are your domain."

"Where is this Tony?" Adella asked looking around "This beach looks completely deserted!"

"Ah that's the thing." Johnny said with a smile "It only looks deserted, that's why Tony makes his home here...Tony is a very introverted soul only a few select souls he calls his friends and he only offers his services to a select few mortals."

As they reached the sandy shore, Johnny stopped "Oh! I almost forgot. He opened the duffel bag he had been wearing over his shoulder "Take off your shoes and socks and put them in here, Tony insists that everyone be barefoot before they enter his abode."

"Tony is starting to sound stranger by the minute." Adella said but she removed her shoes and socks and put them in the duffel bag, Johnny did the same.

Without a word Johnny walked up to what looked like a large circle of rocks that probobly surrounded a tide pool, there was a small rock at Johnny's bare feet, Johnny lifted his right foot and stamped three times on the rock, and suddenly before Adella's eyes a charming beach house appeared on the rock circle.

"Illusions." Johnny said "Tony's house is not only invisible but also intangible to anyone who doesn't know it's there, people and animals climb all over those rocks and walk through his walls, his furniture and even Tony himself."

"It seems a bit high..." Adella said "...And those rocks look awfully steep and...tough for bare feet."

"Don't worry." Johnny said taking her by the hand once more "There is a ramp, it seems like part of the rock that naturally eroded smooth but it's not."

So Johnny led Adella to the beach house, inside there was the sweet scent of incense and the smell of fresh baked cookies...Gingerbread Cookies...Adella's absolute favorite!

"Ah..." Came a soft silky voice, as what looked like a young man, with straight black hair, brown eyes and olive skin entered the the Parlor with a dish of gingerbread men "Princess Adella...I've been expecting you."

The young man turned to Johnny "Bad traffic much?" He asked

Johnny sighed and shrugged "You know the way it is in L.A." He said "Particularly during the Holiday season.

"Indeed." Tony said Adella couldn't help he was not as warm with Johnny as he was with her. "You've had a rough time Princess." He said "I am so dreadfully sorry you had to endure that traitor...Your Papa the Fall King had no way of knowing he was secretly plotting to kill you...Have a cookie Princess I know they're your favorite and you could use some comfort food."

"You are too kind Tony." Said Adella as she picked up a Gingerbread Man and delicately bit off the head, this was like no gingerbread cookie she had ever had before, it was sweeter, more delicate in texture and far more flavorful then any she ever had before."

"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed as she wiped away some drool dribbling from the corners of her mouth "This is the best cookie I've ever eaten in my entire life!"

"That Princess is Fairy Gingerbread." Said Tony "It is sweeter and more delicate then any Human Cookie."

As Adella quickly demolished the rest of the cookie, Tony turned to Johnny

"You will stay here in the waiting room while I heal the Princess and determine her Guardian Spirit, I do not want Elves messing up the aura cleaning process."

"Oh I know." Johnny said calmly "I had no intention, I was going to call Adella's human family."

He waved over to Adella as she obsessively licked up every crumb of her cookie.

"Adella." He said "I'm going to call your folks, your Human Folks, I'm going to give them the same story I have to Mr. Dobbs that a man hidden in the dressing room tried to assault you, I saved you and that I took you to the emergency center."

"Thanks Johnny." Adella said blushing "For doing all this for me."

"Think nothing of it Princess." Said Johnny humbly

"Do you know anything of Reiki Princess?" Tony asked as he led her to his healing space

"No, what is it?" Asked Adella

"An ancient Fairy Healing Art...One of the few Fairy Arts that Humans can master...Very few do. I'm going to cleanse your Aura with my wand, give you some protective Crystals and with my Pendulum Crystal, determine your Guardian Spirit."