Shardak

Shardak is a Toa/Elemental Prince hybrid created by Arcturas to vanquish his enemies, the Shadowy Ones. After the death of Arcturas at the hands of the Fury, Shardak joined the Hand of Mata Nui in their war against the Corpse Empire. He was a key player in the Xaterex Civil War.

Early Life
Shardak was created by Arcturas after he defeated the Shadowy Ones during the Battle of the Feindflames. Knowing that his enemies would one day return, he created Shardak with the power to destroy the Shadowy Ones forever if they ever returned. Shardak, however, had no knowledge of these events.

Later, while Shardak and Arcturas were wandering through the Forests of Gharandur, found the young Corpsian Commander Nightshade, who had been sent to spy on them, "cornered" by three Shadow Wolves, armed with only a dagger. Arcturas and Shardak, not knowing who she was, drove the wolves off and "rescued" her. Arcturas invited her to stay with them. She accepted, while all the time spying for the Corpse Empire, keeping them near their camps.

A year later, Arcturas agreed to take Shardak and Nightshade to Shadrus Nui, the capital of Xaterex IV. Unknown to him, Nightshade had organized a trap with her superior, the Fury, who led a large number of Veiled Ones to attack Arcturas. After seeing a burning Starcraft enter Xaterex IV's atmosphere, Arcturas attempted to flee, as he knew that Ion's plan had failed and that the Veiled Ones would attack him. Shardak watched Arcturas' death at the hands of the Corpsians, then fled, eventually meeting Ion within the Starcraft. After hearing Ion's story, Shardak joined him. The two Toa proceeded to Intrax Nui, where they witnessed a Veiled One murder a Glatorian. They then left the city to warn the Hand of Mata Nui about the Corpsian threat and tell them that the Toa had succeeded in stealing the Shadow Orb.

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Red Core
Later, Shardak and Blast were attacked by Limiters, and fled. The Limiters gathered, and attacked again. However, Kyhrex led the Hand Agents to safety.

Later, Blast, Shardak, and Atarus encountered a fusion of the Dragon Quartet known as General Dracabra in the Ice Caverns, and managed to temporarily subdue it. Later that night, Nightshade led an attack on their fort with a squad of Limiters, Shardak, Blast, and Atarus were forced to flee back to the Hand of Mata Nui base. A few days later, Shardak and Blast noticed strange Rahi appear near their base, claiming to be the "Thirteen Messengers of Varkanax". Shardak and Blast then encountered the Tenth Messenger in the body of Flareus, with a tall being called the "Shadow God", a dark Takanuva who was the host for the Eleventh Messenger. Flareus teleported away after a feirce battle and the Shadow God fled to the Red Core

Persuing the Shadow God, the trio encountered Exterminator, a prototype assassin. After defeating Exterminator at the Core, the three encountered the Shadow God again. They narrowly defeated him with the aid of a Toa called Gharn. Knowing that it was no longer safe there, the four beings left for the Hand of Mata Nui base. Exterminator, alive, attacked again, but Shardak killed him for good with the Blade of Arcturas, flinging him into the Red Core. After returning to the Hand's Base, Thousands of Corpsians launched a collossal attack on Sector 12, killing Melnox, Ion, Nidhiki, and many other agents. After conquering Sector 12, Skorpix continued on to the Hand's Base, and destroyed it as well. A few surviving Hand agents, electing Blast as their new leader, left for the Red Core, where they would be safe temporarily from Skorpix.

Condemnation
Blast and Shardak, patrolling the edge of the Red Core, were attacked by a squadron of Limiters of Corpse. Blast called in his backup, but Echo was captured by the Limiters for unclear reasons. The Toa, along with Kyhrex, left to free Echo, sending Viri to warn the Hand. Along the way, they encountered an Old Wanderer, who, mistaking them for the Traitors, attacked. After escaping the wanderer, The Three saw Silencer’s spirit in the flames. Silencer told them that he can communicate like that, and urged them to free Echo. At the Caves of Roxtus, Shardak, Blast, and Kyhrex encountered a crazy, young fanatic for the Shadowy Ones. They managed to crush his will, and, using his powers of Life, Shardak possessed the body of the fanatic to spy on the Traitors. There he met, one by one, the Shadowy Ones: Nex, Windeus, Lariska, Skorpix, and Eostra Nihiltian. Shardak aided Nex, a dark fusion of Spinax and Prince, in preparing for a mysterious ritual.

Later, still pretending to be the fanatic, Shardak spotted Windeus allow Flareus into the Caves for unclear reasons, and watched as Fury slew the Twevth Messenger, Valxx. Shardak, realizing they were killing the Messengers, returned to the central camp of the Shadowy Ones, aiding the Shadowy Ones in the second stage of the Sacrifice of Messengers, and the Orb of Evil was revealed, along with the Sceptre of Evil. Both are in the possession of Eostra. Later, Shardak left the caverns and found Echo. He was then joined by Kyhrex and Blast, who brought his true body into the Caves, explaining how the Shadowy Ones, as a replacement for the Thirteenth Messenger, must kill a Toa.

After freeing Echo, the four Toa returned to the caverns for the final stage of the sacrifice, Shardak playing the part of the fanatic. Flareus was murdered by Eostra, disintegrated by the Orb and knocked through the opening portal. As each of the Messengers died, the Veil was broken. However, the sacrifice failed, as Echo was not killed, and Shardak saw Varkanax and hundreds of other Elemental Demons broke free. Eostra managed to control them using the Weapons of Evil, but then Shardak, Kyhrex, Echo, and Blast attacked, Blast, in a complete leap of faith, flinging himself into the portal that the Elemental Demons came through to ask Silencer’s spirit for help. Zoth, Blaze, and many Hand of Mata Nui agents joined them, and Shardak managed to defeat Eostra, knocking the Scepter out of her hand and freeing Varkanax, the Sceper being the only thing that controlled him. Although the Shadowy Ones were weakened, Lariska managed to loose Elimination, and a Poisoner of Corpse shot a capsule at Kyhrex, wounding her badly. Shardak, Blaze, Zoth, and Echo rescued Kyhrex, who revealed that each of the Regalia of Evil has only one way to be destroyed-and the Orb can only be eliminated by destroying the Soul and body of two different creatures. Kyhrex was soon separated from the others. Shardak, wandering off on his own, was re-captured by Windeus, Nex, Skorpix, and Lariska, and Shardak revealed that he was the toa-son of Arcturas. Nex, beginning to show signs of good, helped Shardak survive the wrath of the other Shadowy Ones. Eventually the Shadowy Ones forced him to lead them to Kyhrex. Kyhrex, killing a Rahi, decided to destroy the Orb, and was about to destroy her own soul, when Shardak and the Shadowy Ones appeared on the ridge. Shardak was unable to fight back, until Atarus arrived, leading the Hand of Mata Nui to Shardak. A full-scale battle broke out, and hundred of Corpsians and Limiters appeared to help the Traitors. Varkanax and the Traitors were too powerful, and all seemed lost until Blast arrived, leading the spirits of Ion, Melnox, Silencer, Pohatu, Kopaka, and Artidax into battle. The tide turned, with Artidax flinging Varkanax into the void, And as Kyhrex was about to fling herself into the Void, Nex turned on the traitors, sacrificing her soul to eliminate the Dominion Orb temporarily. However, the Orb could have still been saved, as only one being had been destroyed, and the Shadowy Ones fought their way into the void, Lariska grabbing the Orb. Shardak abandoned the body of the Fanatic, and entered the body of Varkanax, knocking the Orb from Lariska's hand and flinging Varkanax/Shardak into the Void after it. Shardak tried to abandon Varkanax's dying body, But Varkanax held Shardak trapped within his mind. As Varkanax returned to the Void, Shardak finally took control over the body and deserted the body as Varkanax returned to the Void. With the Dominion Orb destroyed, the Shadowy Ones were routed, and Shardak’s soul returned to his body. Silencer and Atarus later explained to Shardak how he, Melnox, and Ion were told by a mysterious being that they would die when they were needed most. However, they made a bargain with Mata Nui, who told them they could return to life if a being who was pure of soul enough could free them from a shadow prison that kept them from truely dying. They warn Shardak that other, greater evil beings were trapped there and long to be freed.

Later, Shardak realized that sharing his soul with Varkanax has tainted his soul, making him a Shadowy One. He kept his condition secret from all, later returning to the void with Blast to free Echo, Silver, Scarapar, and Dust, who were locked in Ice during the battle. With the Shadowy Ones defeated, Blast managed to retake the Hand Base.

Shadowy One
A few months later, Shardak was patrolling the borders when Dhar'Ahi approached him, challenging him to fight complying with Lariska's psionic orders. Lariska urged him to fight in front of Atarus and a Hand agent Psiunn, and when Dhar'Ahi drew blood, his tainted blood showed he was a Shadowy One. Psiunn and Atarus were forced to expel him from the Hand of Mata Nui then expelled him from the Hnad of Mata Nui, and commanded that all Hand agents killed him on sight. Kyhrex and Blast secretly approached him and gave him his armor, the Ignika, and a Tri-Bladed Scissor to replace his dual blades.

Later that day, Dhar'Ahi spotted and attacked Shardak, but was fought off. Shardak fled, and hid for two days. Afterwards, Shardak, realizing that the Toa Gathering was drawing near, approached Blast and Nightfang, who helped Shardak enter the Gathering, disguisd as "Ruru", a toa. Later, they encounterd Psiunn, who questioned them, suspisious, but eventually let them go. After The Shadowed One and other Dark Hunters arrived, Shardak called out a warning, which is ignored by Psiunn, who announces that Shardak is here and that he is the true enemy. Shardak spoke to the Shadowed One, and realizes that somehow, Varkanax was possessing Dark Hunter lord, and urges the Toa to flee. Then a combined force of Dark Hunters and Corpsians attacked, capturing all the Toa save Shardak, Kyhrex, and Blast. Shardak, fleeing to Nightfang, found that Nightfang and Kiina are Hybrids, Toa and Glatorian posseessed by the spirits of Exterminator and Gorast. The Varkanax/Shadowed One Hybrid ordered the Hybrids to create more Hybrids using the bodies of Toa and Glatorian, and sent others to take Shardak to the Odina Splinter Dimension. Blast was surrounded by Corpsians, but rescued by an alternate "Toa" Mata Nui and the two warriors left to rescue Shardak. Mata Nui departed, leaving Blast with an alternate Click. The Toa invaded the Odina Dimension, where Exterminator, Varkanax, and Gorast were creating more Hybrids from captured Toa. Shardak's spirit was blasted from his body and his body taken over. Mata Nui, meanwhile, entered the dimension to help Blast, and the two fought Skorpix. Shardak posesseed the body of a Toa yet to be taken as a host, and the three narrowly escaped the Odina Splinter Dimension. Shardak, after leaving Odina in the body of a toa, encountered Exterminator/Nightfang, carrying the Scepter of Good. He managed to defeat Exterminator with Mata Nui and Blast's help, and took the Scepter. Blast knew that to power the Scepter, they'd need the Orb of Good, and left for the Hand of Mata Nui Base to steal it from the Hybrids, with Shardak and Mata Nui following him later, after finding Silencer. After finding the Hand's leader, Shardak realized that Silencer was yet to be taken as a host and was still free. After returning to the Hand of Mata Nui base and joining Blast, Axonn, and Kyhrex, who formed a plan. Blast suggesed that Shardak leave the Toa's body and semipossess Blast, allowing him greater speed and durability to weild the Scepter of Good. Shardak agreed, and semipossessed the body of Blast as a Hybrid without destroying Blast's mind. Together, in one body, they freed Atarus and gained the Mask of Good from him, giving Axonn the signal to attack. With all the Weapons of Good, the Toa managed to destroy Exterminator and continue, freeing Viri. They, using Zamor's power, lept from place to place killing Hybrids as they went. Finally they entered Laverna Realm, where they killed Antroz, Raanu/Raidak, and a posssessed Berix. they managed to temporarily defeat Flareus as well, and freed Ion. Atarus, Silencer, and Viri managed to take down an Ultimatum and were joined by Shardak/Blast, who left to deal with the last of the Hybrids in the Tower of Dreams.

Before they left, Mata Nui then offered to give up his body to Shardak so Blast could be free and Shardak be a Shadowy One no longer no longer. He gave Blast a spell that would teleport Shardak into Mata Nui's body, before his own soul left through a portal. In Ko-Metru, they encountered Kazi, one of Kyhrex's Toa Ultimate team members, who revealed that the whole team save Kyhrex was killed, and that it was Kyhrex's fault. After Shardak itentified himself as a friend of Kyhrex, Kazi attacked, but was destroyed.Nearer to the Tower of Dreams, they killed Takadox and two other Hybrids.

Later, Shardak/Blast encountered Gorast/Kiina, and managed to kill her, though they were badly wounded. The Toa continued into the Tower of Dreams, where they encountered Varkanax, Hakann, and another Hybrid. They destroyed the nameless Hybrid, but Hakann fled. Varkanax shot Disntegration Rhokuta at them, but Blast dodged it narrowly, and fired the Scepter at Varkanax, but the powerful Hybrid absorbed it. Realizing their body was badly wounded, Shardak jumped away from Varkanax, and questioned Blast. Realizing they were too wounded to defeat Varkanax in combat and that the Scepter could not destroy him, Shardak decided to lure Varkanax down on them, then destroy the Weapons of Good to kill the Demon, but kill them both in the process. After luring Varkanax down on them, Blast, at the last moment, decided to free Shardak from his body so that at least he could live. As Shardak was teleported away, his last act in Blast's body was to break the Scepter and Mask as Varkanax fell on them. The explosion killed the Shadowed One and destroyed the Tower of Dreams. Blast narrowly managed to free himself from the rubble, and Shardak, now in the body of Mata Nui, and a few suriving hand agents, joined him at the ruins of the Tower of Dreams, and watched the Odina Splinter Dimension consumed itself in a fiery explosion, killing any surviving Dark Hunters on the Demiplane.

Teridax's Return
Later, on a report from Dark, Shardak and Blast were called to fight against the Corpsians with the remainder of the Hand of Mata Nui. The battle above began, and Nightshade released the Rahi Nui army hidden below to eliminate the Hand forever. The attempt to completely destroy the Hand failed, however, the Rahi Nui were released and routed the Hand. Shardak and Blast attempted to kill Nightshade, however, Nightshade threw Shardak, Kyhrex and Blast into the Core. Nightshade was then joined by Shadowbringer on the edge of the Core Void. After telling Shadowbringer how she had killed Shardak, Blast, and Kyhrex, Zoth hauled himself out of the rubble and pulled Nightshade into the Core Void with him.

Far below, Shardak and Blast awoke, Kyhrex very hurt, and found Nightshade's "dead" body. Blast destroyed her dagger, though it attempted to kill Kyhrex. The Toa then tried to find a way out. Shardak and Blast met Zoth, in thrall to the Engergized Prododermis entity, the Energized Protodermis was subsequently forced to defuse the Ignika from the Skakdi's face, but fused Shardak and Blast into a fusion afterward. The Toa-Heroes and Zoth found "Viri", who was an Ultimatum in disguise. The Ultimatum was killed temporarily by the Toa, who found the real Viri buried under rubble, and rescued her, later destroying the Hybrids of Avak and Reidak, who had been flung into the Core during Pridak's plan to steal Ion's antimutant armorpeice and return to the Pit. Blaze, meanwhile, in an even deeper void, landed on a thick Visorak web, containing hundreds of Visorak created by Eostra to be Teridax's army when he returns. Blaze managed to incinterate portions of the web. Above, Balta and Idris' Hybrids attacked them, and knocked Shardak/Blast, Kyhrex, and Zoth deeper into the Core Void. Viri managed to knock Balta deeper into the Void and killed Idris, slicing her to peices. Blaze, below, encountered Balta, and managed to imprison the Toa/Hybrid in a Visorak Web and burn it, sending Balta plummeting forever into the bottomless void. Blaze, however, was imprisoned in the Webs, giving him powers over gravity and a smarter mind. The Fusion of Shardak and Blast, Kyhrex, and Zoth met with Blaze, and burned the Visorak webs, sending the Visorak plummeting after Balta. Blaze used his powers of Gravity to return the Toa to Viri, where Defilak attacked them. Despite being nearly invincible, the Toa finally destroyed the Hybrid. Kyhrex, shocked at her team's evil, was etremely shaken. Blaze then used his gravity powers to return the Toa to directly below the Core Processor, where they met the last Hybrid, Ackar/Pridak, who had Ion's antimutant armor piece on. In the rusulting skirmish, Pridak dove into the pit, persumed dead by the Toa.

Shardak then defused himself and Blast, who reset the Core Processor to reject Teridax, and sent a wave of energy, which engulfed the Shadowy Ones. However, Eostra Nihiltian managed to reset the coordinents, and Teridax continued his inexorable return to the Xaterex Multiverse.

Shardak, dufused from Blast, led the charge up the Core Processor. The Hand of Mata Nui, seeing a massive break in Corpsian ranks, relaunched their attack. The Toa then managed to defeat the Traitors, but Shardak was unable to overcome Eostra. In the collossal battle that followed, Skorpix was hauled into the Core Void along with Blast, and Shardak battled Windeus and Banrax, eventually overcoming both. However, Eostra fired an annihilation bolt, presumably killing Kyhrex.

Shardak then encountered Flareus and Zaktan, and, narrowly defeating them, realized the Hakann Hybrid had escaped into the Core Processor. Shardak confronted Hakann, who became possessed by Teridax as the Teridax Robot drew nearer. Eventually Axonn and Viri awoke, and Axonn told Shardak to flee, saying he'd faught Teridax before and could do it again. Viri was kidnapped by Pridak, who flew in on a sea sled to rescue her. Shardak defied orders and stayed, and eventually Axonn and Shardak shoved Hakann through the portal. Shardak half-fused with Axonn, and his mutated body fell into the Core Void. Axonn's remaining peices were recreated by a Great Being, and faught with Eostra. In a desprate attempt to stop the Great Being until Teridax arrived, Eostra called hand agents and Corpsians to kill the Being, but all were defeated by the Great Being. After temporirily defeating Eostra, The Great Being semireversed time as Teridax struck the Matoran Universe, recreating the beings that had been recently killed and lessening the impact of Teridax's body striking the universe.

Shardak, half-fused with Axonn and wounded badly, encountered Kyhrex and Gharn as Teridax struck the universe. At the edge of the Lower Core, Nightshade and her aspect cornered them in an indefensible position on the edge of the Core. Nightshade attempted to convince Shardak to hand himself over to the Corpsians, and when he refused, she ordered her Corpsians to gun Gharn down. They then destroyed the ledge and the toa fell into the Core Void. With Teridax destroyed, the Great Being abandoned Axonn's body. When Axonn awoke, he and Atarus raced to the Lower Core, but were to late for the Toa. Axonn, wishing to avenge the deaths of Gharn, Shardak, and Kyhrex, saw Nightshade and pulled her over the edge of the Core Void with him, so that she would die as well as Shardak.

The Eternal Game
Main article: The Eternal Game

In the core universe, an alternate form of Shardak, along with Blast, was captured by the alternate Kodax/Corpse Empire to compete in the Eternal Game. He, along with Blast, fought in the battles over the weapons on the game board. He was attacked by Harlen, who Kental killed with a Shattering Gun. Shardak then witnessed another contestant, a Toa of Light named Ravdev fall into a pit of lava before being killed by a Lavawight.

After recovering a weapon from one of the caches, Shardak was attacked by a massive Stitched Scion, who sent him reeling. After recovering, Shardak killed a Toa of Ice named Soalaz after throwing a sword into his back. He then fled the area, questioning what events lay ahead of him.

Later, he was captured by a group of Brotherhood of Fear/Gigas Magna Empire soldiers, led by Krakanus. After killing the Makuta lord in single combat, he was attacked by Tetrack. Before the dark lord could kill him, he was attacked by Fairon, Fyxon, Leptys, and Brominax. Shardak fled after the battle.

He was later flung into the Void by Antidax during a massive battle against a large group of Kodax. What this meant for Shardak at the time was unknown.

Later, the Shadow Matoran Corzakx entered the Void, accompanied by fifty Shadow of Ages soldiers, stumbled upon Shardak's limp corpse lying near the edge of the Void. Corzakx noted that Blast was not with him.

Abilities and Traits
Shardak was initially brave, strong, and heroic, and was very loyal to his friends. He has a visious hatred of Nightshade and wants to ensure her downfall. He doesn't know why Arcturas created him, but he knew the powers of five of the traitors. In Condemnation, he became rather reckless, to the point of taking the Shadowy Ones alone.

Mask and Tools
Shardak used the power of Life and had minor control over fire until he was mutated by the Void. now he is mostly powerless, though he can still use the Blade of Arcturas. He destroyed his origial mask, the Ignika, with the Weapons of Good, and now wears Mata Nui's alternate Ignika.

Quotes
"Nightshade…No. You are not—" "Arcturas said the same thing to me before he died." “Then you’re a Corpsian! You killed Arcturas!” “I was sent by the Fury to find and kill Arcturas. I led him into a trap on the cliffs and the Fury brought his dying body here. “No! “Yes. He was just as shocked as you were when he lay dying here. He just couldn't believe that the toa girl who he took pity on had betrayed him, and he died in despair.”"

- Shardak and Nightshade

Appearences

 * Dissolution  (first appearence)
 * Writhing Darkness
 * Condemnation
 * Expulsion
 * Impact
 * Twilight Void
 * The Eternal Game