So I've only recently decided to start reading the re-release manga that I bought last year--I've never read the manga because because I had always loved the anime so much (I now love the manga, but I'll post about that another time). So I was reading Act 12 or 13 and I got to the death scene of the Inner Senshi and I became super confused.

First off, what were they trying to do? They were going to sacrifice their transformations for what purpose?

And second off, how exactly did they die?? They shouted "Make Up!" and threw their transformation sticks up in the air, and then they fell onto the floor in what seems to be their blood...????? I don't get it. Can someone help me please?

They were sacrificing their power, all of their power, in an attempt to awaken Serenity that she might seal away the darkness of Metalia. "Throwing away our pens is the same as throwing away our lives!" -- because their pens are a direct route to their energy source - their souls, their sailor crystals, whatever you want to call it. They're offering up the entirety of their life power, hoping it would travel through Metalia and awaken the Princess, which is incredibly risky because they don't even know if Serenity and Endymion are alive. Venus directs all of their power through the sword at Metalia, the pens are spent and fall, and so do they.

But it didn't work though, did it? Or was that the reason why sailor moon woke up? Because the energy that the other senshi sent had reached her?

Yeah, their power restored her memories as Princess Serenity and woke her up.

Sailor Uranus wrote:

Yeah, their power restored her memories as Princess Serenity and woke her up.

Oh ok, that makes more sense now lol hmmm i kind of liked the anime version of their deaths better then hahaha but stil, the manga is good