Phazon: Shiver Star, one of the more interesting levels of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. The levels are quite detailed and very long, but I can still pull it off with no problem. Anyway, let's get right to it.

Disclaimer: The characters, storyline, setting and all of that in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards belong and are the sole property of Nintendo and HAL Laboratories only, and I don't have them locked away in chains anywhere. Best to get the legalities out of the way before someone tries to sue. I aim to give the readers something to enjoy, but not have my story deleted by an NOA executive.

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Ceaseless Wintry Weather

"BRRRRRR!!" Adeleine shivered as she tried holding the makeshift jacket she had painted closer to her body. "It's freezing here! We c-could use an erupting volcano right about now."

Ribbon groaned in pure detestation, but Adeleine had a point. Shiver Star was the complete opposite of Neo Star's volcanic regions, but when she and Kirby vowed to help save Ripple Star no matter what, they knew there would be hardships.

But this was just ridiculous.

"Oh, lighten up, you guys," Kirby called as he formed a snowball and tossed it at a Poppy Brother before it could throw its bomb, "it could be worse."

Dedede unintentionally slipped on the glacial ice, but he was still able to glare at the pink puffball.

"How could it POSSIBLY be worse?!"

Kirby shrugged. "I don't know, but it just could."

They really had no right to complain. Shiver Star was known for its frigid weather, so this should not have been anything new. It would just take some adjustment. Snow was everywhere, though there were a few patches of somewhat solid ground that the gang made use of.

As Kirby walked along and stomped on the Punc that was rolling his way, he pulled back when a bright blue block of ice suddenly shattered on the ground before him.

The block fell from the bird that was fluttering above Kirby. When it attempted a takedown, Kirby obliterated it with the phoenix shot fireball attack. He was lucky to have saved the double fire elemental crystal instead of parting with it.

"I completely forgot about the Frigis," Waddle said as he walked alongside Kirby, "they're birds that are completely made of ice and have black eyes and orange beaks. They'll try and drop those ice blocks on you, but if they fail, they may try and swoop down on you."

Ribbon wiped some of the snow off of her wings before flying to Waddle's side. "So it's basically the opposite of a Burnis bird?"

Waddle nodded.

The snowy pathways seemed interminable, but no one complained about it anymore, at least, not as much as they used to. Upon reaching some floating platforms, Kirby brought the group to a halt.

Adeleine, who had been covering her eyes with her jacket, didn't notice and bumped into Waddle. She lifted up her jacket and saw Kirby had paused.

"What's going on, you guys? Why'd we stop?"

"Look ahead."

Before them were two Bobo creatures: the same walking fireball creatures from everywhere else.

"If we wanted to get through here quicker, we'd all have to be able to use fire elemental powers," Kirby concluded before firing through the two enemies.

"Yeah, but we all can't float around and turn into shooting fireballs, Kirby," Waddle replied.

Good point.

The paths began to ascend, which was bad, considering everyone was closer to the Frigis birds. Dedede was able to jump up and take them out, but he had to avoid touching them for fear of getting frozen.

As they ascended up the snowy hills, two Chilly creatures: snowmen that would create ice barriers around themselves, began shooting off ice in every direction. They soon met fire when Kirby blasted right through them, and it was the same fate for the desperate little Emp: little penguins that ran away instead of fighting. They contained the ice ability as well, but Kirby didn't need it.

Suddenly, Adeleine shrieked when two Mite moles popped out of the ground, but they didn't attack her- they simply began accumulating huge piles of snow, possibly to create a snowman.

"Hey!" Adeleine whooped as her child instinct took over. "Maybe we could make a giant snowman!"

Dedede stood there transfixed, not even caring about the snow that began falling even faster, as he saw the painter run off and begin bringing clumps of snow together with the protection of gloves she had painted.

"Adeleine!" Waddle called from afar as he and the others began to slowly move forward, save for Ribbon. "We didn't come to Shiver Star to make snowmen!"

"We didn't go to Neo Star to nearly get melted by a volcano, but we did it anyway!" Adeleine shot back.

Sighing, Ribbon began flying forward, but her flight came to a halt when someone was tugging at her sweater.

"Not this time," Dedede said as he let go of Ribbon's sweater, "the girl just wants to fool around. Not surprising since we really haven't had that much fun since, well, Aqua Star."

"Nonetheless," Waddle added as he looked to his right to see Kirby clearing the pathway of ice enemies, "if we don't keep moving, the weather will get to her."

Against her will, Adeleine was carted off by Dedede, but her tirade of complaints stopped when she was placed within the safety of his royal coat.

The pathway was clear thanks to Kirby, but everyone couldn't help but notice the strange snowflake patterns that appeared to be carved into the ground.

"Look at that," Ribbon muttered as she observed one, "and the snow doesn't even cover it up."

"Apparently, someone's been busy before we were here," Dedede deduced as they walked on into the next area.

The snow had fallen so quickly and heavily that hills had been formed, but this didn't explain the large structure before them.

"I wonder who built this," Dedede inquired.

"Probably no one," Kirby responded as he began climbing the slippery ladders, "but my guess is that this place used to be all earth until it started snowing all of the time."

"That makes sense," Waddle agreed.

Since Kirby was first up the ladder, he had to be extra careful because one false step could ruin it for the others. The ladders were completely covered in ice, so he was watchful of what part of the ladder he grabbed so he wouldn't slip. As he ascended, however, he heard Dedede let out a shrill wail.

"Get away from me! I don't like prehistoric creatures!"

The king himself was being pecked at by numerous Pteran pterodactyls, so he had to fend them off as well as ascend up the ladder as well, but the snow began to fall heavier and his vision was hindered.

"I said get away from me!" Dedede yelled again, this time a bit more livid.

But it was no use. For some reason, the Pteran found an interest in his royal coat, so they would take it by any means necessary. They began pecking at the back of the coat, unintentionally waking up Adeleine, who had been asleep within the coat the entire time.

"Did we save the galaxy yet or- WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS?!"

"They're Pteran," Dedede responded as he nearly lost his footing on the ladder. "H-hey, what are you doing?!"

Adeleine pulled out her easel and tried swatting the Pteran away, but this only added to the pressure put on Dedede.

Ribbon, who had made it to the top since she could fly, had felt the disturbance and flew down to handle the matter herself. One, because she had to help her friends, and two, she wasn't fond of standing atop the cliff alongside Kirby while snow continued to fall nonstop.

The fairy held the Crystal Shard up into the air and it began to glow profoundly. A loud piercing sound emanated throughout the ears of everyone within the shard's proximity as bright energy radiated off of the jewel and obliterated the Pteran in an instant.

When the bright light faded and both Adeleine and Dedede stopped screaming, they realized that they were at the top of the structure with the others, who had mixed expressions on their faces.

Moving along, the entourage felt that since they were getting higher, the snow got even deeper, and it was still falling. It didn't bother Kirby that much since he was accustomed to almost any type of weather change, Ribbon could always create a barrier with the shard, Dedede and Adeleine had Dedede's large coat and whatever else the artist could create to keep them warm, and Waddle Dee…Waddle Dee…

"Where'd Waddle go?" Kirby asked suddenly, realizing the red puffball wasn't next to him.

Ribbon tried looking through the thick blankets of snow. "He was right behind us a second ago."

"BANZAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!"

Waddle Dee abruptly halted their search as he came rushing towards them in a red sled that he must have constructed. They tried to run away, but the snow was too thick to get far and they were all bumped into the sled.

Kirby, completely ecstatic, looked around and saw how much ground they were covering. "This is more like it, Waddle! I tell you, this is the way to travel!"

This unfortunately brought up memories of the mine cart experience not that long ago on Neo Star, which wasn't Kirby, Waddle, or Adeleine's favorite event.

Dedede's head bobbed up and down as the cart ran over some rough hills and a few Chilly snowmen that tried to protect themselves with ice barriers.

"JUMP!!!" Adeleine exclaimed as she saw the log that was blocking their path. Everyone at once forced their weight to the back of the sled, while Dedede gave the back of the sled a good whack with his hammer, forcing it up and over the log and back onto the snow.

The sled ran over three Chilly snowmen in succession, a Mite mole that popped out of the ground, and an Emp that tried to avoid its demise, but failed. They then came to another log to jump over, but the end of the sled hit the top of the log, which was completely covered by solid ice, causing it to go even faster.

Soon, they approached a giant igloo that had a convenient entrance and exit for them to travel through.

Adeleine moaned in abhorrence as a snowball was thrown at her from afar. The Poppy Brother that threw the snowball laughed, but it was soon out of the young painter's range.

"You see?!" She exclaimed, preparing to stand up in the moving sled, "This is why we should've built a snowman!"

"LOG!!"

"Will you stop screaming that?!" Waddle asked, a bit perturbed at Adeleine's constant outbursts every time something came up.

"I can't help it," she called back, "if I said it quietly, you wouldn't hear me because of the snow!"

The sled then went over a huge cliff before landing roughly in another snow patch.

"JUMP!"

"Adeleine, I promise you-"

"No, Waddle, she's right!"

Another large chasm appeared and it took two hard slams of Dedede's hammer to bring them up high enough to get over the gap safely.

All of a sudden, the Crystal Shard began to glow.

"A shard must be close by," Ribbon perceived as she clutched the gleaming jewel.

Kirby got in front of Waddle and looked ahead. Atop another giant igloo was something shiny.

The puffball turned around. "Dedede, pull us up and get us on top of that igloo!"

The king obliged, bringing his hammer high into the air and onto the end of the sled to provide enough momentum that would propel the sled high and onto the igloo. Kirby leaned to the side and grabbed the shard fragment just in time.

After several more huge chasms, running over more Bobo creatures, and traveling atop bumpy snow hills, there came one rock that was larger than the rest.

"Get us up, Dedede," Waddle called without looking behind him.

When nothing happened and the sled was still skidding on the snow, Waddle became frantic.

"I SAID GET US UP!!"

"Do you want me to get a dent in my hammer?" Dedede asked excitedly.

"You've already put the thing on water, sand, molten lava, and a walking tree- why would you possibly-"

Adeleine's words were cut off when the sled suddenly collided with the huge rock, catapulting the five into the air and sending them tumbling into the large igloo before them.

Unfortunately, they all tumbled all over one another and in the midst of their confusion, they never noticed the entrance seal shut.

"YOU'RE BITING ME!!!"

Waddle began viciously kicking at Ribbon, who was clinging onto him for her dear life. Her delirium stopped when a snowball fell on her from above.

"What the shard?"

Dedede slapped his forehead in confusion. "So now you're making jokes about the shard, is that it?"

Kirby looked a bit carefully at the obscure upside dome at the top of the igloo. Within the dome was a Crystal Shard fragment, but it looked like it would take a lot of work to get it out.

No time to worry about that; there was a giant Chilly before them that was blowing torrential blizzards their way, and they also had to contend with the Frigis birds that continued to rain down snowballs.

Kirby looked to Waddle and Dedede. "You two and Ribbon work on getting the shard. Adeleine and I will take care of the enemies."

"We will?"

Adeleine was dragged forward by Kirby and was told to get rid of the Frigis birds with whatever she could create.

Kirby began picking up speed and charged forward, his body slowly becoming a raging fireball. It began piercing the snowman's tough exterior, causing it to groan in the utmost displeasure.

After all, fire does beat ice.

Dedede threw Waddle Dee into the air in hopes that his body, as plush as it was, would be able to crack the dome that surrounded the shard fragment.

"THREE!!"

Waddle Dee was catapulted higher and higher until he hit the exterior. It didn't work and all he got for it was a horrible headache.

"This isn't working," Ribbon said flatly as she shooed away another Frigis bird by scaring it with the Crystal Shard.

As a Frigis prepared to dive bomb Ribbon, a hot flame soon intercepted its path and the bird became nothing but ash.

Ribbon looked to Adeleine, who had actually gone out of her way to paint a flamethrower.

"Um…Adeleine," Dedede began as he approached the painter, "are you only able to paint what you've seen?"

She let out a hearty laugh. "My imagination has no limits."

Meanwhile, Kirby jumped into the air in order to avoid the crystal barrier the giant Chilly snowman had created to protect itself. When the barrier disappeared, Kirby took a deep nosedive and his body became a powerful phoenix shot. The fireball bore into the Chilly's icy head and it suddenly began to warble and gurgle. Once Kirby had made his way into the snowy beast and shot himself out through the Chilly's stomach, the creature exploded.

The doors instantaneously opened and the remaining Frigis birds flew out in a hurry to avoid being destroyed just as their leader had been.

Kirby inhaled deeply before slowly floating into the air. The ascension brought him closer and closer to the dome where he could easily destroy it to free the shard.

When Kirby was at the opposite end of the dome, he used the phoenix shot fireball attack and surged forward. Small sparks trailing from the shot landed onto separate parts of the igloo and the structure began to melt, but Kirby had done his job: the dome had been melted and the shard, now in his hands, was free.

Even still, the shard began to react wildly.

"There must be another one nearby," Ribbon said as she flew out of the igloo and back into the freezing cold.

Back outside before the entourage was a frozen lake that was littered with Nruff creatures that found it difficult to maintain their balance or Propeller creatures that hovered above.

"The shard will have to be somewhere around here."

Dedede jumped atop one of the small mountains, taking out the Chilly snowman in the process, and surveyed his surroundings. This was difficult since the snow was blowing fiercely and some of it got into his eyes. He tried to wipe it off with his flippers, but only helped the snow spread to other parts of his face.

"I DON'T SEE IT!!!!!" He yelled before he hastily climbed down.

"I see it!"

Everyone rushed over to where Kirby was standing. Well, not everyone. Ribbon could easily fly over there and Adeleine had painted herself a pair of ice skates, but it was a bit harder for Dedede and Waddle, who were continually slipping on the ice.

Kirby was standing near a crack in the ice and pointing to something glistening at the far end of the lake.

Adeleine jumped high into the air and prepared to dive in, but Dedede quickly tackled her before she could land in the water.

"Are you crazy?!" He asked, shaking her wildly. "You'll be frozen in an instant!"

The two heard a splash and saw Kirby swimming away in the icy lake. Because they couldn't follow him, they only walked at the same pace that he swam.

Beneath the frozen ice, Kirby gasped and took in a mouthful of water as he saw some Slushy: blue and white jellyfish, approach him. He hastened his swim and grabbed the shard before any of the jellyfish could latch onto him with their tentacles. Soon enough, he was out of the water and the gang was on its way into the next area.

The snowfall was beginning to lighten here. It was strange for everyone to see that some of the clumps of snow had a light hue of pink or purple to it, but things were already strange enough.

Adeleine ran up the slippery ice hill and slid down, only to bump into an Emp penguin that let out a feral yell and ran for its life upon being touched.

"Heh," she chuckled lightly as she zipped up her jacket, "the penguin's so scared that he ran only after I-"

Something flashed past Adeleine's face, which now showed absolutely no emotion whatsoever. Her head slowly creaked to the right and she saw that an arrow was now about two inches away from her hand. Looking up, Adeleine saw the Yariko: creatures with red hats that threw spears, mutter something incoherent to itself.

Waddle made quick work of the Yariko when he picked up the spear and threw it right back at the creature.

"It's strange," Kirby said as he tried ascending up the ever slippery hill, "I always thought the Yariko were natives to Neo Star and Rock Star."

As they ascended up the hill, the gang was blocked by a giant red rock that was being guarded by a Putt: green worms with yellow horns that always pushed down heavy rocks.

"Hey, move the rock out of the way!" Ribbon shouted.

The Putt appeared from behind the rock and laughed loudly as it pushed down the huge boulder.

Dedede rushed forward with his hammer and brought it down on the rock, shattering it into millions of tiny fragments.

Waddle Dee stood perplexed at the strength behind that hammer. "Who would have known that it could do that kind of damage?"

Then came the incline that was larger than the rest. The snow didn't make it any easier at all, so there was the occasional slipup from Waddle or Adeleine.

Kirby, who had been admiring the crystalline hills, didn't hear the faint rumbling noise coming from ahead. It was only when he looked up did he see the giant rock that was headed his way.

Ribbon quickly flew over to Kirby and lifted him up and over the rock while Dedede went over and introduced the Putt to his flipper.

The fairy sighed as she brought Kirby to solid ground. "You need to be more careful."

Behind them, Adeleine pouted. "She doesn't hit him when he screws up."

Now larger cracks in the land began to appear, yet it seemed safe to jump across. How wrong they were.

As Waddle put his first foot over the crack, a Maw jumped out at him. Maws were blue creatures with giant mouths that popped out of holes, swallowed their prey, and spit them back out. The creature snarled and tried to grab the red puffball's foot. Adeleine came rushing in with a hammer she painted and began to bash the Maw until it vanished with a poof.

The other two gaps were a clear indication of what lay within them, so Adeleine painted some bombs to drop into the gaps beforehand. The screams were evidence that her plan had worked.

Kirby let out a sigh of relief as he saw that as he and the others continued to walk, the onslaught of snow had ceased. It was time to look for more shards in hopefully higher ground.

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Higher ground indeed.

The gang had arrived at a mountain that had crystal stalagmites sticking out at almost every point, giving little room to walk. It was a steep incline, yet everyone was a bit disappointed when they approached the top and saw that there was nothing there except a lonely Zebon: green balls with faces that catapulted anyone higher once they jumped in.

"Don't tell me we went through that snow for nothing," Ribbon groaned.

Kirby took a step closer, but slipped on the ice and fell into the Zebon. The creature smiled as it slowly spun around and shot the pink puffball into the air. Kirby's scream resonated throughout the sky.

Dedede didn't let his head drop. "He's not coming back, is he?"

"Nope," Adeleine replied.

"Well," Ribbon began as she beckoned the others to jump into the Zebon with her, "we better follow him."

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Phazon: Sorry if this update took a long time, but I've been busy with schoolwork and this is a very long level to recreate in text form. Anyway, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it, and I'll be back with the next installment on Shiver Star.