Crystal Shard
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A Crystal Shard is one of the 74 scattered, hallowed pieces of a powerful Crystal, originally located on Ripple Star in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, that fragmented some time after Ribbon's attempt to safeguard the Crystal from Dark Matter at the beginning of the game. These indigo shards carry an unspeakable power, originally used to harmonize the forces surrounding Ripple Star; in their current, isolated forms, evil is more than able to penetrate not only Ripple Star, but the entire realm in search of these sacred crystal fragments. As the game's name implies, the plot of The Crystal Shards is to collect and reclaim the broken pieces of the Crystal in order to restore peace to Ripple Star and by extension, the entire planetary system.
In each regular stage, of which there are three or four per planet, three Crystal Shards are hidden. These fragments are often strategically placed so that Kirby must overexert himself physically (i.e. by floating and extended breath-holding) or in terms of busting down walls, blocks, etc. with different copy ability combinations in order to reach these treasures. While the final boss of a certain planet reveals one Crystal Shard upon defeat, many of the mini-bosses in The Crystal Shards yield a crystal piece in the same manner. In the case that Kirby has already obtained a certain Crystal Shard within a level, a large Blue Star will take its place, rewarding Kirby with the equivalent of 50 Stars, placing him well on his way to achieving a 1-Up, if it is collected.
The number of Crystal Shards Kirby possesses by the time he reaches the boss of the Ripple Star, Miracle Matter, determines whether or not he will be able to face the final boss, Zero Two, and rid the entire realm of Dark Matter. To face Zero Two, all 74 shards must be found across the realm, and rightly so, as the shards themselves are the sole weapon used to send Zero Two and Dark Matter back to the depths of space.
