Watanuki and the Tails Doll

Author's Note: This story occurs in the first season of the xxxholic anime. A Tails Doll is an unlockable character from Sonic Racers which is both extremely creepy-looking and rumored to be able to suck out your soul if you play as it. Domo arigatou to my friend, I'll call them Negi-san, who has no profile on this site, but is the one who introduced me to the Tails Doll legend-- and who tried to summon the thing in my bedroom! (She didn't succeed, as proven by the fact that I still have a soul.) Please enjoy!

Kimihiro Watanuki arrived in Yuuko's shop shortly after school had ended. Himawari-chan hadn't walked home with him today, either.

He took off his shoes and called, "I'm home!"

"Welcome home! Welcome home!" Maru and Moro responded, coming into the main hallway of the store. They were followed by the Black Mokona.

"Where's Yuuko?" Watanuki asked.

"Mistress left you a note!" Maru said, spinning around.

"A note! A note!" Moro added, also spinning.

Mokona jumped into the air and hit Watanuki over the head with a piece of paper.

"What was that for!?" Watanuki asked.

"Read it!" Mokona said. The paper floated into his hands.

Watanuki, it said, I had some errands to run so I left the shop with Maru and Moro. Yuuko

"So I can go home, then," Watanuki said.

The writing on the piece of paper, except for Yuuko's name, disappeared and was replaced by new writing. No, you can't, it said. I have a special job for you. Mokona will tell you what to do. And you'll need Doumeki.

"Why would I need Doumeki for anything?" Watanuki grumbled. "I just won't call him. Yuuko will never know."

The words on the paper changed again. Is that so? it now read.

Watanuki nearly dropped the paper in surprise. "All right, all right, I'm calling him," he grumbled as he walked toward the phone.

"Sonic Racers?" Watanuki asked, picking up the game cartridge.

He had called Doumeki, who had come over quickly, and with a surprising lack of protest. The two, along with Mokona, were gathered in a room near the back of the shop, which was empty except for a TV equipped with a game system and two controllers. An unstrung bow hung on the wall.

"Put it in! Put it in!" Mokona ordered.

Watanuki did so. After a few moments, the game loaded. A number of different gameplay modes appeared on the screen.

"Choose the racing one," Mokona instructed.

"This is a really weird job," Watanuki complained as he pressed the "X" button. "I mean, why are we playing a video game?"

Mokona smiled in a way that scared Watanuki more than he could say.

"Doumeki, you play Sonic," Mokona said. "Watanuki, you play the Tails Doll."

Watanuki reluctantly selected his character. "That thing is kind of creepy looking, don't you think?" he asked nervously. The character, a two-tailed fox with wide, unblinking eyes, was slightly unnerving. He thought he saw a strange aura around the TV screen, like the one he saw around a spirit. "What kind of game is this?" he asked.

"You'll see," Mokona said. "Now choose that level," he continued, pointing to the screen.

Watanuki selected it, and the game began.

The characters were in little cars, driving on a sunny, pleasant looking road. A song played in the background.

Can you feel the sunshine, does it brighten up your day? Somehow, the cheery lyrics only freaked Watanuki out more.

His fear was soon forgotten, however, as he began winning.

"Take that, Doumeki!" He shouted, getting into it. "I'm going to beat you so bad, you won't ever want to show your face again!"

"Whatever," Doumeki said, nonplussed.

With a sound effect of screeching tires, Watanuki's character finished first, and then, to his surprise walked through the digital landscape towards him.

"Umm…" Watanuki said, pointing a trembling finger at the screen. "Is he supposed to do that?"

The Tails Doll continued toward Watanuki, passing through the television screen as though it was simply air. "Can You Feel The Sunshine" was still playing in the background.

Outside of the TV, the Tails Doll grew until it was nearly as tall as Doumeki. The music got louder, and the aura Watanuki had seen before intensified.

"AAAUGH!" Watanuki screamed, scrambling backwards.

Without hesitating, Doumeki grabbed the bow from the wall, and, drawing back an invisible string, shot an arrow of ki energy straight through the doll.

The Tails Doll paused, but continued forward. Its black eyes were like whirlpools. They sucked Watanuki in….

"Get back!" Doumeki yelled, knocking Watanuki out of the way. Kneeling on the groung, he shot two, three four more arrows into the creature. With the fourth, the Tails Doll was thrown back against the wall. It landed hard, knocking over the TV and nearly punching through the wall.

Doumeki shot it again, and it began to dissolve.

Watanuki lay on the floor, still shaking. "What the heck was that?" he squeaked as the last remnants of the doll floated away.

"That was a demon which had been possessing that game," Yuuko said, walking in. She was wearing a purple and white dress with a mandarin collar, and a single hydrangea adorned her hair, which was up in a bun.

"A-a demon?" Watanuki gasped.

"I knew you would be able to draw it out, and that Doumeki would be able to exorcise it," Yuuko said. "So I left it to you."

"It's not fair to make us do your dirty work!" Watanuki exclaimed. "That thing nearly killed us!"

"You are my employee; any job I choose to give you is fair," Yuuko said. "Now go fix dinner."

"Can I stay for the meal?" Doumeki asked Yuuko.

"Of course," Yuuko said. "Thank you for your services."

"You thank him and not me!?" Watanuki complained as he headed for the kitchen.

"By the way, do you like video games?" Yuuko asked.

"No, not really," Doumeki said. "Why?"

"We're going to have a lot of them at the shop soon," said Yuuko. "Sega owes us."

NinthFeather: So, what did you think? I hope you liked it! Please R&R. Also, if any of you noticed any details of how to summon the thing that I missed, please tell me and I'll fix them. BTW, Google "Tails Doll curse" if you want to figure out specifically how to summon the Tails Doll. Personally, I don't believe in it, but you never know….

Watanuki: DON'T TELL THEM HOW TO SUMMON IT! WHAT IF IT STEALS THEIR SOUL?

Maru: That would be funny!

Moro: Funny! Funny!

Watanuki: HOW IS THAT FUNNY!? HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF YOUR SOUL WAS STOLEN!

Maru and Moro: (In unison, creepily) We don't have souls.

Watanuki: *sweat drop*

NinthFeather: You worry too much.

Watanuki: NO, I DON'T!

Yuuko: Watanuki, hurry up with that nikujaga!

Mokona: And bring more drinks!

Watanuki: *groans*

NinthFeather: *waves and laughs mockingly*