Katamari Forever

Without the King's antics, the Queen found more time to immerse herself in various activities. From baking to shopping, she killed time making seemingly-mundane tasks unconventional. During her daily channel surfing, the Queen's eyes were caught on a local department store's closing sale. "This is perfect! I will buy the perfect gift for the King!" exclaimed the Queen, "But since he is sound asleep, I need to find something he will surely like..." It was no secret that the Queen adored shopping, especially with the King. She would spend hours browsing all the goods, and even more time in the check-out line. To make sure she chose the perfect gift, the Queen called over her son. "Hello, Prince. Would you like to go buy a few things with me?" the Queen inquired. The Prince happily nodded, excited to have a break from rolling.

Once they arrived, the Queen was infatuated by all the wares. She stood in awe of the wide selection of merchandise: Vehicles, decorations, clothing, food and for so cheap! As many mothers do, the Queen took advantage of the endless bargains. Unaware of how long she had been shopping, it came as a surprise to the Queen when the speaker announced their closure in thirty minutes. The Prince tiredly asked, "Mom, when will we be done?" as he pushed the bottom of the shopping cart. "I think I get why dad gets grumpy after you two come here..." This comment came as a shock to the Queen. "What do you mean by this?" she asked her son. "Dad told me he doesn't like shopping with you... He says you take too long, and that you would be more perfect if you spent less time!" the Prince exchanged. This revelation surprised the Queen, as she had assumed the King enjoyed the retail experience. "...Oh. Well, it's not for everyone!" his mother sheepishly chuckled. Deep down, the Queen felt a little hurt that the King disliked their long shopping trips.

When the Royal Family came to this store, the King always insisted that the Prince should carry all of their goods. He believed this would build the Prince's endurance and make him a gentleman. Though the King was not present, the worker still asked, "Will the Prince be carrying all these?" Instinctively, the Prince nodded, even though the racked-up purchases exceeded his height. In a Groundhog Day-like fashion, the Queen silently paid, standing still and looking pretty. Most saw the Queen as the King's cute accessory, so they didn't usually question her silence. However, it was particularly eerie this time. The nicely-wrapped packages were vertically stacked above the Prince, like a colorful totem pole. Meanwhile, the Queen carried a small bag with a few snacks inside.

Few words were exchanged between the two. The Prince heaved the countless boxes while his mother floated with her few goods. As they headed towards the house, the Queen suggested, "Why don't we set these by your father?" In approval, the Prince stuck out his hand for a thumbs-up. This was a mistake, as he started to lose balance! Wiggling and shifting, he attempted to keep all the presents together. After a small struggle, all seemed to be well. Then, in an annoying twist, a little apple fell from the top! With an empty hand, the Queen was able to smoothly catch it. However, when the fruit fell, it caught the Prince off guard, making everything come crashing down. To make matters worse, it all collapsed on top of the King! His family winced in unison as he let out a heavy groan. Suddenly, he began to lean upwards as he inhaled. The Queen whispered, "Is he finally getting up?" Her heart pounded as the tension grew, but it all came down just as quickly. Slumping back into his hammock, the King continued snoring like the hours before. The Prince fell to the ground in defeat, as he had a mess to clean. Meanwhile, the Queen stood in place with a dumbfounded expression. What a disaster.