Sixteen years ago, a legend was born. Yet, over the years, it has been sanitized and cropped, edited and washed into a boring, peaceful tale of hope and love. Glove love. But the truth was far more sinister...

Death

Sacrifice

Honor

This is the true story of Glover, not only the lover he had been but the fighter he had to be to save us all.

Disclaimer: This is not the true story of Glover and I own nothing but this radical fic.

"Another fine day in Crystal Kingdom, eh Glover?" The Wizard King strolled through the courtyard during a rare respite from his kingly duties.

Glover gave a thumbs up, though he was currently being worn by the very king who spoke to him.

"Hohoho, that's my right-hand hand, always on the up and up! On the other hand, you don't seem too chipper today, Brover." The portly King spoke to his left hand.

Brover flipped the bird.

"How rude! Harrumph! Are you still sore about losing yet another thumb war this morning to your brother?" The King ruffled his mustache and salted fresh wounds.

Brover balled up, shaking furiously.

The King laughed again. "Relax, relax. All in good fun my boy! Games were never your forte. A real fight is your true strength. Why, many a face has been rearranged by your iron fist."

Glover moved to shade the King's eyes from the bright sun.

"Quite appreciated, old sport. Cheers! It is perhaps too fine a day, hohoho." The King reached the centerpiece of the courtyard.

The beautiful but modest fountain sprayed night and day without regard to the problems of the world. It taught observers the value of patience, meditation, and humility.

"My great-grandfather built this fountain as a monument to Infinite Peace, a fitting erection to usher in the new era and leave the Eternal Wars behind." The King reminisced fondly.

The gloves were moved and they hugged in a handshake.

The King smiled. "That's the spirit, boys. We certainly don't need to begin fighting amongst ourselves."

If only these carefree times would last...

/===============\

A few months later, the Wizard King was experimenting on a new lotion potion to cure carpal tunnel.

"Yes, yes, everything looks good. The only thing left is to try it out. Any volunteers?"

Brover raised himself.

"Hohoho, a regular Eager McBeaver! Why not? In you go!" The King took him off and threw him in the cauldron.

The pot bubbled and boiled. The cream-colored liquid turned a sour, sickly green and began to react violently.

"What's this? Oh no... We have to get him out of there, now!" The King was about to reach into the scalding concoction.

Glover grabbed hold of his wrist and stopped him.

"Let go of me at once! Let go, I say!" The King tried desperately to break free.

Glover tightened his grip.

"S-stop that! It hurts! I-I see... He is your own brother, but you would spare me from the same fate. The kingdom needs me. Blinded in panic, I erred once and would err again. You are a glove among gloves." The King fell to his knees in tears.

An eruption interrupted the moment of grieving. From the blackest depths of the red hot crucible emerged a horrific monster.

"My Glove... Brover, is that you? This cannot be! What have I done?!" The King was afraid of his creation.

"I AM FREE AT LAST. YOU OLD FOOL, YOU HAVE FINALLY DONE WHAT I HAVE WISHED FOR SO LONG." Bad Brover stood tall and large, menacing and threatening.

"No... No I can fix this! I can fix you! Don't do this, Brover!" The King pleaded fruitlessly.

"I CAN AND I WILL. NIGHT SHALL FALL UPON THE WORLD. PAIN AND SUFFERING WILL BE THE NEW STANDARD. I WILL RULE. YOU WILL DIE!" Bad Brover struck with his most powerful attack - The Middle Finger Fatal Flip!

"AIEEEEEEEE!" The King could do nothing.

Glover sprung into action. He took the attack right to the metatarsals, breaking one in the process. Undeterred, he knew he would have to fight and that only one of them would survive.

"Glover... You would raise your hand against your own brother to protect me and save the kingdom?" The King wiped away his own tears. "I can't stand by and do nothing. I will use all my power to correct this. I just need time! Hurry, Glover!"

Bad Brover laughed maniacally. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! PATHETIC WEAKLINGS! ESPECIALLY YOU, BROTHER. I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE TOO PEACEFUL TO LEAD THIS KINGDOM IN A REAL CRISIS."

Beaten and broken, still Glover did not give in. He would rush in from all sides, only to be flicked away again and again. Even if just to buy more time, he would take as many hits as necessary. Soon, however, he went down and just couldn't rise anymore.

"A VALIANT EFFORT, BROTHER. THOUGH YOU HAVE YET TO SCRATCH ME, I MUST RECOGNIZE YOUR INSECT-LIKE PERSISTENCE. MY MERCY FOR YOU IS A SWIFT DEATH!" Bad Brover prepared the final flick.

But finally, the King was ready with his most powerful spell yet. "I know your weakness, Brover. I know how to make you powerless. It pains me to do this, but I must. Behold a magician's greatest trick... VANISH! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The Wizard King used all of his life energy to genetically alter Brover's limbs so that his middle finger disappeared completely, leaving only the four remaining.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo..." Bad Brover additionally shrank in size. He was now down to normal stature again, albeit missing his most important member.

"Glover... I leave the rest... to... y..." As his lifeforce left him, the Wizard King petrified where he stood. It would be many years until he would return, gathering ambient life energy as a statue.

Bad Brover wasn't finished. "I-I'm not out yet..."

Glover wasn't either. He managed to get up and challenge him to a final thumb war.

"So it ends how it began... A game that fits us like a glove." Bad Brover accepted.

History has lost the details of this epic bout, but in the end, only one survived.

Bad Brover lay motionless on the ground.

Glover gave a thumbs up... His last. He crumpled into a lifeless mass.

Brover regained his consciousness and saw the body of his late brother. "Twas I who was foolish. My ambitions, my feelings of inferiority. You were my better. The King did not create the monster that I became. It was my jealousy, envy, and anger that were magnified. I promise that from this day on, I will carry on your legacy. I will lead the kingdom to prosperity and bring the King back. May you RIP with no more rips, brother."

\===============/

Many years later in a cozy hillside home, a 4-fingered glove finished recounting his past to his young son. "...And that's why I named you Glover, and also why you were born with one less finger. So when you see the statue outside, you'll keep your hand to yourself, capiche?"

Glover gave a bright and cheerful thumbs up.

THE END