A/N I know I said that there are two chapters left but I just realized that it'll be impossible to cramp all the events in two chapters so there might be three or four more chapters. Plus, I just found my inspiration for the final chapter...I'm sure you'll love it! - Enjoy

Chapter 9 - Facing Demons; The Inner Scouts' Turmoil

As the 12 fighters enter the palace, they were greeted by the dark princess's henchmen. These were different from the other monsters that they fought before because this time, they were people being possessed by the dark power.

"We have to be careful. These are people!" Sailor Mercury said as she knees one henchman.

"Any blast could kill them." Sailor Mars responded.

"Well, we can't overpower them...they're too many!" Sailor Uranus exclaimed.

"We have to split up!" Sailor Star Fighter exclaimed.

"That's what she want, we can't split up." Sailor Pluto responded. They were now being backed up in a corner.

"Well, What then? That's the only..." Sailor Neptune got cut off when a dark power blasted between them and the henchmen.

The Sailor scouts, together with the Starlights and Prince Endymion were blasted into what seems to be a dark vortex. As they try to be together, the power in that place was too powerful for them to overcome. One by one, they slip away from each other.

oo00oo

Ami MIzuno wakes up and was surprised to find herself in her childhood room. She was no longer Sailor Mercury and she was 7 years old.

"What's happening?" she asked herself as she looks around. "Why am I here?"

Ami went out of her room and walked across the hall. She sees her mother in the living room with a pile of case folders. "I remember this. This is...no, i-it can't be." she thought.

"Oh Ami, you're up." Mrs. Mizuno smiled.

"Mom, what's going on?" Ami asked.

"Oh sweety, it's ok. Daddy's gone now." Mrs. Mizuno replied.

"W-what?" Little Ami was on the verge of tears. This was the day that her Dad left them but in someway, she felt like this was not how it was.

"Daddy left. It's ok honey. Everything will be alright. I'm fine now." Mrs. Mizuno replied but she was being cold to Ami, like she didn't want her there. Ami began to cry. Her mother became upset and slams a folder in the table.

"You are so weak! You cry and cry...Just because you're a little genius you feel that everything should be about you because you're special!" her mother exclaimed. Ami looked at her mother in shock. She never saw her mother like this. Her mother was always there for her, she never said anything like this.

"Well, congratulations genius, because of you - daddy left! He can't handle you and I don't have any idea what to do with you! You will never be amount to anything! You're weak! I don't care for weak children!" Mrs. Mizuno exclaimed and left Ami on her own.

Ami went back to her room. "I'm weak...I'm nothing...I don't deserve to be loved." she sobbed as she huddles in the corner of her room.

oo00oo

Sailor Mars wakes up and was surprised to find herself in the shrine. She stood up and looked around. It seemed quiet...too quiet. She began to look for her grandfather and Yuichiro. Running around and looking in every room, Sailor Mars couldn't find them. She was starting to worry when she hears her grandfather's yell. She rushed outside to find her grandfather and Yuichiro being attacked by a monster.

"Grandpa! Yuichiro!" she shouted.

"Help us, please." Yuichiro begged.

Sailor Mars ran towards the monster and punched it right across the face. The monster throws the old man and Yuichiro aside.

"How dare you!" Sailor Mars exclaimed as she began to attack the monster. With every punch and kick she gave, the monster easily avoided it. She tries to blast it with her flame sniper but the monster just deflected it.

"What are you?" Sailor Mars asked.

"You mean, WHO are you." the monster replied. Sailor Mars was taken aback when the monster sheds it's skin only to reveal herself.

Sailor Mars felt like she was looking in a mirror. The monster looked exactly like her now. She didn't know what to do. Confusion took over her whole body.

"Surprise? Don't be...this is what you fear...this is who you are." with that the evil Sailor Mars used her powers to blast her grandfather and Yuichiro.

"No!" the real Sailor Mars screamed.

"This is who you are...you can't hide it." again, the evil senshi blasted them.

Her grandfather, near to death, tried to move towards her. "Why Rei? Why did you do it?" he asked.

"B-but...I didn't..." Sailor Mars looked around and couldn't find the evil version of herself. "Did I..."

Sailor Mars ran to her grandfather and Yuichiro but it was too late. She killed them. What she feared the most has just happened...she killed the people she love.

oo00oo

Makoto runs around the city but no matter how fast she runs, she still ends up in the same spot. It was the gazeebo in the middle of the park and what's worse, she's no longer in her senshi form. Then, it started to rain. The scene was all too familiar as a boy enters the gazeebo.

"Makoto...have you waited long?" the boy asked. Makoto couldn't believe her eyes, it was Tokiya Mikagami, her ex-boyfriend.

"Not really...I guess." Makoto replied. Why is she here? Why this time at this place? Thoughts rushing through her head. Curious to see where this is heading.

"Pity that it had to rain...I guess it what happens when you're about to break someone's heart." Tokiya said.

Makoto's eyes widened in shock. She knows this...at least, she thought she knew. This was the time he broke up with her. But something was different. Somehow, this was not the memory she had.

"Don't be too surprised," he smirked. "You don't really expect me to stay in love with a girl like you, did you?"

"Wh-What?" Makoto stammered.

"Wake up and smell the coffee, Makoto. No one will ever find you attractive. You're too much of a tomboy for anyone to love. You'll never be loved. You won't even have friends that will accept and love you. You're going to grow old, alone and unloved." he said.

"N-no...that's not true. My friends care about me and I will find someone who'll love me." Makoto replied with tears falling from her eyes.

"What friends? The friends that abandoned you? You can't even save one." Tokiya implied. He opens his umbrella and begins to walk out of the gazeebo.

"I never loved you, Makoto. That's why I left you. No one will ever love you and the death of your friends will be in your hands. You cannot be cared for...You're nothing." with that, Tokiya leaves a sobbing Makoto.

"No." she whispers as she falls to the floor. "I'm not loved."

oo00oo

Sailor Venus ran through the hallway. She was near the throne room. As she enters the room, she sees Usagi.

"Usagi-chan." Sailor Venus called out.

"Venus." Usagi replied. She looked very weak and tired. Sailor Venus rushed towards her friend to help her.

"What happened? Are you ok?" she asked.

"I-I don't know. I remembered being alone and scared. Why didn't you help me?" Usagi asked.

"What are you talking about? I'm here. We better get you out of here." Sailor Venus replied.

"You left me here. You left me to die." Usagi said. Sailor Venus couldn't believe what Usagi just said.

"You're not dead. I'm here, I'd never leave." Sailor Venus defended. Usagi slowly stood up. Her body was slowly fading.

"No...you didn't save me. You said you would but you left me here to die. This is your fault. You left me here to die." Usagi said.

Venus froze as she watches her best friend fading away. She left her to die. She failed her. Usagi disappears leaving Venus in tears.

"It's all my fault..." she whispered to herself. The room began to fade. There they were, the four inner scouts, defeated by their demons.

oo00oo

In the real throne room, the dark princess watched as the inner scouts cry and blame themselves for failing. She watches in glee while they suffer in their pain.

"Alone...always alone." she smiled.