Some say that Mobius was built on legends. Tall tales that help us make sense of things too great or too terrifying to believe.
Only a handful of people know of a legend concerning a gem comprised of two halves, one half as white as freshly fallen snow, the other half as black as the void.
It's said the white half shines brilliantly when a pure soul holds the gem, while the black half glows ominously when one with an evil heart has it in their hands.
Legend has it that long, long ago, there were two warriors who shared a bond so strong that they were prepared to die for each other. These two came into possession of that gem. They knew that countless before them had fought and bled for possession of it, but even they were not above the power it exerted over them. One of the warriors believed that they should take it somewhere so far away that nobody would ever find it, but the other claimed they should use it to bring all the world under their reign. In the ensuing struggle, the gem was split in two, and these warriors wielded the broken halves against each other.
In the end, the warrior using the white half of the gem emerged victorious from that battle. Fearing the power of the black half and the effect it had on his comrade, he attempted to destroy it, but only succeeded in breaking it into several pieces. Those pieces were scattered to the far corners of the earth with the hope that they would never be reassembled. The warrior then hid the white half away, foretelling that it would reveal itself if the world had need of its power again.
The legend claims that warriors wielding both halves of the gem will clash once more, with the fate of Mobius hanging on the outcome. If the warrior with the white half of the gem triumphs, its power will lead Mobius into a golden age of peace. But if the warrior with the black half of the gem wins, Mobius will be plunged into eternal darkness and become a demonic paradise.
This is the legend of the black and white gem.
But that's the funny thing about legends; more often than not, they're true...
Five years ago...
An archaeolgogical expedition into ruins deep in the Shazamazon rainforest discover several shards of a black gemstone and an ancient tablet that no one can translate. Scientists from all over Mobius study the shards, and though unable to piece them together using conventional methods, observe that they give a strong response when living creatures come into conflict with one another. One day, without warning, the head of the project to study the shards is found dead in his home. The gem shards have gone missing, and are presumed stolen. The project is permanently shut down.
Present Day Mobius...
The war against Eggman is not going well. The Freedom Fighters who for so long have opposed the mad doctor have suffered their share of losses. Princess Sally, longtime member of the Freedom Fighters, has been roboticized and become Eggman's strongest enforcer. The sorceror Ixis Naugus, claims the crown of Acorn for himself and seeks to turn the people of New Mobotropolis against Nicole, the city's AI guardian. And yet, the remaining Freedom Fighters refuse to give up, splitting their remaining forces into two groups; one to defend New Mobotropolis from threats close to home, and one to hit Eggman's forces hard and fast wherever they threaten the innocent.
However, Station Square and Angel Island suddenly find themselves victim to violent acts of terrorism. An organization calling itself the Dark Flame takes full responsibility for these acts. They announce to the world that they seek the ultimate power, and that they will use this power to create a utopia where everyone can live without war, poverty, or in fear of the likes of Eggman. Many become sympathetic to their cause and rally to them, swelling their ranks. Many more openly oppose the Dark Flame's actions, and friends and families quickly turn against each other.
Meanwhile, stories begin to spread of a small band of mercenaries, led by a red hedgehog armed with nothing more than a sword. While they are no enemy of the Freedom Fighters, these mercenaries, known as the Bloody Roses, swear allegiance to nobody but themselves and are waging their own war against both Eggman and the Dark Flame.
The Freedom Fighters. The Eggman Empire. The Bloody Roses. And the Dark Flame.
The world is quickly heading towards a conflict the likes of which it has never seen...