Disclaimer: I do not own The Last of The Mohicans or any characters mentioned in this story.
Author Note: I first watched LotM when I was about four years old. Even at that young age, the relationship between Uncas and Alice captivated me. I have rewatched the movie many times in recent years and I never tire of seeing the two together with their fantastic chemistry. I hope this short story does them justice.
When I See You Again
Death came as a burden.
There were many things he had hoped to accomplish in the future, and many things left undone in the present.
He found himself on the path of his ancestors, one man in a kaleidoscope of spirits making their way to the afterlife.
His wounds faded; all evidence of his struggle disappeared.
He walked the path slowly, watching the others on their separate journeys.
They paid no heed to him. They had obviously left their lives in a state of satisfaction.
Not him.
He thought of his last moments on Earth, fighting to save the one who had latched herself to his heart with barely a word spoken: Alice.
He remembered the horror that painted her face as she realized what he was doing.
They had shared a glance filled with every emotion possible under the circumstances, motivating him to continue his attack on the Huron party.
If only he had been as strong a warrior as the seasoned Huron leader.
He wondered what they were doing now.
Hopefully Alice was cooperating.
Even though he hated to think of her as Magua's captive wife, it was better than having her become another victim under his bloodstained knife.
Maybe Chingachgook had followed him with an understanding of his son's intentions.
Maybe at this very moment, Chingachgook was fighting Magua.
Maybe Hawkeye and his lady accomplice had caught up.
Maybe Alice was safe.
The thought calmed him, and he released his previously clenched fists.
She was safe.
She would go home to her prim and proper world of women in frilly dresses and men in stiff coats.
She would marry a proper Englishman and start a new life.
She didn't need him.
Not as much as he wanted her to.
The path ahead of him suddenly seemed painfully long.
He wanted to leave this limbo, to stop his thoughts from traveling to the one thing he could never have.
But… half of him didn't want to leave this contemplative middle-ground.
He wanted to stay here, to keep every memory of her presence alive.
The way she had felt in his arms, the feel of her hair under his dark fingers, the powerful yet gentle gaze her eyes gave.
If he was the running elk, she was the hunter.
The clumsy hunter who had fired her gun into a midst of nothingness, only to find she had caught a prized creature.
And for whatever reason, he didn't mind.
Maybe he would see her again on this path of spirits.
Her hair would be white.
Wrinkles would replace what was once fair skin.
She wouldn't even recognize him.
But none of that would make him love her less.
He would walk towards her in the pale nothingness.
She would look at him with confusion, maybe even fear.
But he would wrap her in his arms and she would recognize his longing.
Then, she would look at him with her soft brown eyes and whisper…
"Uncas."
He stopped walking with a jarring movement.
He didn't realize how clearly he had memorized her voice.
That was the only explanation for hearing it so vividly.
It had to be.
"Uncas."
The second call traveled to and through him in a jumble of confusion and hope and desperation.
He hadn't imagined it.
He turned as slowly as he could manage.
Others continued their journey, oblivious to the event occurring.
Then, he saw her.
She stood 20 feet away from him, a vision of angelic innocence.
She stared at him with wide eyes and an open mouth, much like she had before his demise.
Her golden brown hair hung down, the braid he had placed in it still intact.
Her pale yellow dress hung unblemished.
Her expression of perplexity slowly transformed into the brightest smile he had ever seen on her face, reaching her eyes and lighting them like no fire ever could.
He walked forward; slow with bewilderment at first, then increasing speed until he was at a near run.
She stumbled towards him, tears spilling down her face.
He enveloped her in his arms, stroking her hair with a gentle urgency.
She held onto him with a desperation he thought only he would have when he saw her again.
She was here, in flesh and blood.
She had seemingly transported herself from his imagination to his presence.
He then held her at arms length, analyzing every facet of her being.
All signs of strife were gone, and she looked almost as dainty and pure as she had when he first met her.
He brushed his callous hand over her face, absorbing the warmth and light of her skin.
She was really here.
But… why?
As if reading his mind, she placed her soft hand over his and began to speak.
"After he killed you… I realized that I didn't want to live in a world where you wouldn't exist. I followed you."
He stared at her with confusion.
She followed him?
Realization slowly crept upon him, and with a strange mix of solace and melancholy, he held her to him once more.
She was here, with him.
They were together.
He could spend the rest of his eternal life with her.
It was a breath of fresh air he hadn't known he needed until now.
They finally separated themselves.
His tunic was stained with her tears, and he wiped another that remained under her eye.
He held out his hand, and she took it shyly.
He gave her a reassuring smile.
They had left their world behind with much pain and suffering.
Now, they could live in peace.
They began their walk to the glowing wall where the other spirits disappeared.
She gripped his hand tighter as they approached.
Finally, they were at the light.
They stopped and gazed at each other one final time.
Uncas was a mixture of contentment and elation.
Now, he could watch over her and be the man she needed, without pressure from his father and the other natives, or the white men who looked down upon his russet skin.
Alice was a picture of bliss.
She had found him, the man who held her together when she was shattered, and the one who could calm the turmoil inside of her with only the touch of a hand or a soothing word.
She could go in peace.
Cora wouldn't have to worry about her vulnerable younger sister anymore.
She was safe.
Hand in hand, the couple took one final step into the world of their ancestors.
They didn't know what they would face.
All they knew was that they were together.
In the end, that was the only thing that mattered.