Katamari Forever

At the end of another easy-going day, the Queen and Robo tucked the Prince into bed. The little Prince had never felt so warm and safe, even though the people of the Cosmos were in a frenzy. After the Queen read her son's favorite bedtime story, she gently kissed his forehead and whispered, "Goodnight, my sweet Prince." As she began to return to the bedroom, Robo wished him sweet dreams. However, he tugged at his auntie's sweater, quietly hinting at something. "Um, can you also give me a goodnight kiss?" the Prince timidly asked. As much as Robo adored the Prince like one of her own, she feared getting too close to him. She was not his parent, yet Robo had been the most nurturing figure in the Prince's life. After hesitating for a few seconds, she responded, "Of course, little one." He happily closed his eyes and hugged his stuffed toy as he drifted off to sleep.

The two women lied in bed, exchanging affection just like the last few weeks. A comfortable warmth flowed through their bodies, fueling their forbidden love. "I never ever want this to change... Don't you agree?" Robo lovingly asked. Instead of instinctively responding with an equally-sappy comment, the Queen actually paused to think. Considering her husband's preference for the attention from fans rather than personal romance, the Queen couldn't help but agree. She hadn't been this happy since her relationship with the King blossomed when they were teenagers. Influenced by rebellion, the Queen responded, "My biggest regret is not embracing our connection sooner." as she hugged Robo close.

After Robo plugged in her charging port, they both settled in bed and kissed each other goodnight. As the Queen shut her eyes, a knot in her stomach began to form. When her true love wasn't awake to distract her from the immense guilt, the Queen feared what her husband's reaction would be to her infidelity. She had never been so scared, yet she didn't want to stop. The only solution to this dilemma would to have the King out of the picture. Of course, she didn't have the heart to kill him, but she had a secret: She could have woken him long ago. The Queen had experience with awakening her husband from hangovers which would last weeks. By gathering objects with sentimentality, the King would be able to rebuild himself and get up. His past traumas kept him from emotionally maturing, which forced the Queen to navigate the complex brain of his. She nicknamed this core of his brain the "Kokoro." Not only does it hold his memories, but it enables him to regress into a childlike form.

Finally drifting to sleep, the Queen felt a sense of relief. Her dream began happily, as she reminisced about her teenage romance with the King. Even under the pressure of his strict father, they felt as free as birds. As the dream progressed, she grew older, losing any identity as a commoner. Her real name, Marie, disappeared as the crown was placed on her head. Though she was excited, the newly crowned Queen didn't realize she would be reduced to simply "the King's wife." As the timeline of events progressed, they celebrated the Prince's birth once again. However, an extreme anxiety overcame the new mother, as her spouse had been drinking more often. Then, in a blur, everything forwarded to the future, where the Prince became an adolescent. He was a husk, having been berated and mistreated by his own father. Yet, his own mother had not done anything to intervene. The Queen hadn't felt this nauseous since she was pregnant with the Prince. However, the sickness made her realize how much she wanted to reverse time to be a better mother. The Queen woke up, taking sharp breaths as sweat dribbled down her forehead.

Even though she tried not to hyperventilate, the intense shaking had awoken Robo. With dimly-lit eyes, Robo whispered, "Are you okay?" while caressing her mistress's pale face. The Queen's gentle gaze turned into a terrified stare as the soft look of her lover morphed into her husband's face. With a cold, deepening voice, the entity declared, "We gave you this prosperous life, and in return you give Us this?" As its hands began moving towards her neck with a strengthening grasp, whispers of: "Whore, slut, disgusting..." Before it began to choke her, the Queen had awoken to the bright sun. The Queen sprung up in a sweat, grasping at her chest. Thankfully, it had all been a nightmare.

Outside, the Queen held a council meeting with her younger kin. Tension had been rising in the air due to the RoboKing's malfunctioning, which kept the cousins scrambling to maintain him. "We have to make a choice before it's too late," Odeko announced. After all, RoboKing was simply made as a temporary replacement for their slumbering ruler. Mag interjected, "So what if he has a few errors?! Nothing a debug can't fix!" However, this machine had no experience ruling the galaxy. There could be dire consequences to having such a leader.

After much contemplation, the Queen stood up and announced: "Children, I believe I may have the solution. You must enter our King's mind to roll up his Kokoro." The cousins gave each other a confused glance. How would they enter the head of their comatose uncle? By no means were they surgeons, nor were they excited to see what goes on in there. "Worry not, you won't need to go inside of his cranium! You simply must collect special objects before you roll him up. They will reawaken various memories from the back of his mind." their aunt explained.

"What about the children!? What about US!?" Robo begged. She exclaimed, "Admit it, we were all happier without him!" Would their love have been worth the constant theories regarding the King's slumber? The Queen stammered, "I had to do it for all of us... I thought you would understand." Regardless of what she said, Robo could sense immense guilt from her. Neither of them were innocent in this matter; The Queen prolonged the King's coma so she could continue her affair with Robo. She had the cure to her husband's unconsciousness, yet Robo was her antidote.