A/N: This ending fought with me, so it's being uploaded in two parts, both today
"Oh Jareth, yes!" squealed Nobora at the sight of Sarah slipping into the room. "The warrior woman has come to fight for her prince." Nobora was draped over Jareth and the chair.
Sarah stood tall. "I'm the quester. You're the evil wizard. What must I do now?"
Nobora grinned, sliding silkily into his lap. He winced, his only movement the whole time. And she replied, "Convince me to let him go."
"Good grief," Sarah nearly snarled. "Honestly?"
Nobora rose to her feet, letting her dress and hair linger on Jareth's skin leaving raindrops and flower petals that painstakingly slowly frosted over.
"That's all. But believe me, as a woman, it is hard to change my mind." She turned proudly away.
"But as a woman, you also love him."
Nobora froze and Jareth made an effort to look up.
"You want desperately what you can't have, even if it will kill one or both of you. Can't you see he's dying?" Sarah took a step forward but a warm burst of hair brushed her back. "You're so desperate for the unattainable you'd lie to another who has as much a chance as you. Took him drinking indeed. It took you three years to notice I'd come into his life and walked out. What kind of love is that?"
The Fairy Queen turned on Sarah. "This kind of love."
With a blast of hot, stifling summer air, Sarah blacked out.
She became aware of his touch, his skin, every cell on fire where he fingered her, her hair, her face, were his gloves off? they were, and his teeth nipped at her heart, she bit back, oh my, oh my, oh his hands, his lips on hers, on her neck, on her collarbone, running down her torso, and was she reciprocating? she was and it was good; she felt embarrassed to be so open, so bare but she wanted more, more, she wanted it all and he gave it freely, happily, and did he want it more than her? who could tell as he devoured her last traces of innocence and that sweet, sweet, ecstasy of the final release, that final lover's embrace to make them one
Sarah gasped as Nobora pulled her back to reality and she stumbled as she tried to find her footing.
Jareth was unchanged, if not worse for wear. And every glance at him shook Sarah's foundations anew.
But Nobora was ablaze. "You dare minimize me?" As she raged, the oranges and reds she was surrounded by grew sharper, harsher.
Sarah, still unsettled by the forced dream, lunged for the Fairy Queen. "Stop it! Stop it!" Her voice was weakened but still held steel. "Control your temper! Can't you see it's killing him." She tried to tackle Nobora.
It was like trying to wrestle the winds.
"This isn't love," shrieked Sarah. "It's lust. You're killing him! You only want Jareth because you can't have him."
The storm raged violently for an instant, then vanished.
Nobora turned one angry, yellow eye to Sarah. "How I despise you, mortal truth-teller. But it matters not to me the words you say." She drew in a deep breath. "You will die and he will live. You will wither like the summer grass."
She blew out one gentle sigh.
Sarah glanced around at Jareth's castle, a shower of flower petals from Nobora's transportation spell fluttering down.
"Sarah," he growled from behind her.
She slowly turned to face him, every residual feeling from the dream forcing itself back with twice the strength.
A peach-colored flower floated on to his strong shoulder and it withered instantly.
He reached for her shoulders and drew her close to him roughly. "Let's make that dream a reality."
"No, Jareth," Sarah whispered and she turned away. "No. Let me go, let me go home."
A/N: One last chapter after this.
