A New Situation
Chapter 13: Battle in the Ruined Church
Somewhere inside the newly built city Edge, there was a young girl walking around in the streets with a boy. This one is the girls younger brother who was infected with a terrible disease called the geostigma as the signs on his body were in the latest stages of a black liquid becoming visible. The girl supporting him has short brown hair with her hair tied up and on her skin was some black like substance as she also has the sickness as well but it was not advanced unlike her brothers. "No, please stay with me, don't go yet." Said the panicked girl at the streets with her brother. The younger brother was not feeling so well in a way he felt pain whenever the geostigma was acting up.
"I feel it sister, I will not last long to survive and I would soon go into the lifestream and I wish there was something that could help." Replied the young short haired boy as at the moment he stopped walking when he violently barfed out a black liquid a clear sign of nearing death in the last stages of geostigma. The sister was horrified at this action knowing that the inevitable will happen to her brother and soon she will be left alone. The girl was clutching her stuffed object that can be described as a small creature with bat like wings and furry appearance with an antenna called a moogle.
Just as the girl is preventing her brother from collapsing, a figure arrived with what looks like to be a young woman wearing black clothing and a cloak with long blond hair approached the two children. It was Reina the associate from the Barsburg church sent to Edge to help the survivors of the meteor incident. "Excuse me, do you need help young one?" The moogle girl stared at the person in front of her wary about what she should do and replied:"No, my brother and I do not need help from anyone especially from other people who are afraid of being infected." Reina knelt down to the two children as she glanced at the boy who was clearly dying from the disease kept his balance. Reina informed the girl that she is not afraid of the disease and wants to ask if there is some way to ease the boys pain.
"Miss, I am not like most people who are aware of this disease and that I am not afraid of it but instead hope there will be a cure. For this boy with you is there anything I can do to help ease his pain?" The young girl saddened about not being able to do anything for her brother with no medications and orphaned at a young age since her parents died two years ago as a result of the collapse of the sector 7 plate in Midgar. She replied back to the lady about her brother wanting to see their parents again.
"My brother always wanted to see our parents again in the lifestream but because of the stigma he can't help but feel despair." Reina lowered her head with her bangs covering her eyes as she said:" What if I can make your brother ascend peacefully without pain?'' "What do you mean and are you a nun from a church?"
"Well you can I am sort of a nun sent from a church in another place since I help the innocent. As for what I can do for your brother I can make him close his eyes and make him imagine happy things in his life." Replied the blond haired girl to the child as they went to an empty road in the city with alleys behind them as Reina asked the girl to put her brother down on the floor. The moogle girl gently laid her brother on the ground watching as the Barsburg associate knelt down and took off her glove on her left hand on the boys forehead.
The hand radiated with a green glow emitting life force as the boy's breath became calmer, losing his life energy and breathing slowed down. The boy felt at peace with himself as he no longer felt any despair in his life and when he opened his eyes he was surrounded in a green surroundings with tendrils of light and saw his parents on the other side stretching their hand to come with them. So he took their hand while looking back and saying farewell to his sister hoping to see each other again. To the brown haired girl she saw that Reina's hand stopped glowing and promptly removed her hand from her brothers forehead as the boy lifted his hand up and then fell back down on the ground. The moogle girl began to cry at what just happened as she clutched her brothers body while asking Reina if he felt any pain.
Reina took a moment to look at the scene before her as someone is mourning a family member in pain and is crying never seeing them again. This made Reina feel reminded of something in her past a long time ago back when she was with her family. Reina disliked having to take off her gloves in a situation like this but had no choice in the matter as she is not allowed to touch anyone physically because of something she had been given at some point and the danger regular people will be put in. "No, your brother was not in any pain when he passed over and now he is one with his parents in the lifestream." The moogle girl thanked Reina for what she has done and wishes to be left alone. The blond haired woman nodded at the request and said for her to be careful and be strong for her brothers sake.
When the blond haired girl left the area she went back out onto the busy streets after making sure the girl she talked to was safely escorted out of alley with her brothers body taken care of. She felt something in the air and looked up at one of the buildings in front of her. Reina being careful of her surroundings left the scene and a two winged creature called a kor made itself visible once the blond left the scene. The kor analyzed everything it saw about the girl from her actions and then disappeared again to follow her trail.
Meanwhile with the bishops back in the bar with Tifa Lockhart, they are having a conversation with her about something. "How is Denzel feeling is he getting better from my healing zaiphon?" Asked bishop Labrador to the woman. Tifa explained to them that the effects of the healing zaiphon soty of helped ease Denzel's headaches but did not get rid of the geostigma completely. "The healing zaiphon you cast on Denzel helped lesson the burden of having so many headaches but still makes me uneasy the geostigma is not gone yet."
Teito sat down on one of the chairs in the bar taking the moment to reflect what he just learned based on the observations the others made outside. This is alot to take in from what the others found out. A secret eighth ghost with their own cuvere that the church did not record about; Cloud Strife needs protection from an unknown enemy that needs all five of us brought here by Aerith and the Blackhawks sent here as well. Then Teito got out of his thoughts and then focused back on the conversation with Tifa asking where Cloud is:"Tifa, do you know of any place where Cloud can be when he wants to be alone?" Tifa being one of the people who knows Cloud so well thought of one place where he could be. "There is one other place Cloud would think to hide out for a bit it would be in the old ruined church that my friend Aerith used to take care of but remains vacant, maybe me and Marlene can go check there."
Bishop Lance concerned about Tifa's choice to go look with only Marlene replied:" Are you sure you want to bring Marlene along? I mean just earlier this afternoon she and Denzel were attacked by the Blackhawks and facing them again is dangerous for you…." Labrador added onto Lances conversation by volunteering to go with Tifa to the church. "Tifa, if it is too much to ask but I would like to accompany you and Marlene to the church so that way it can be more safe." Tifa thought of Labradors proposition and made up her mind that it can't hurt that a bishop can follow them to find Cloud. Tifa said:" Sure Labrador you can come with me. But what about the others will they be okay with Denzel here in the bar?"
Teito nodded to the barmaid in a responsible manner by saying:" We'll be alright here Tifa and we will contact you just in case something happens in the bar and we would watch over Denzel once your back." The other taller blond short haired bishop glanced at his apprentice about his actions and went along with it. "It is fine we can manage by ourselves and be careful Tifa there might be strange individuals on the streets." The black haired woman took precaution at Frau's warning to be careful of suspicious individuals especially those Barburg imperial soldiers that wield dark magic called warsfiel. Suddenly footsteps are heard going down the stairs only to reveal to be Marlene who came down looking sad about something. Marlene looked up at the other people in the room and then to Tifa again. She catioustiously asked Tifa if they are going to find Cloud now. "Tifa are we going to look for Cloud now? Can he be at the church because that is where he might be when he does something else? In Marlene's mind, she was still sad about Denels condition and not only that when she proclaimed to Denel she wants to go with him he said for her not to go because she could also get infected with the disease and he does not want that for her instead he says he will find some way to get rid of it.
Tifa realizing that Marlene wants to go with her replied to the girl that they won't be going in alone. "Marlene, we are not going alone in fact Bishop Labrador will accompany us to go to the church to see if Cloud is there or not." The little girl was shocked to learn that Bishop Labrador would choose to leave without his companions to go with them and nodded with agreeing to it. After that Labrador left the bar with the two females to head towards Aerith's old church but not without saying a warning to his friends. " Everyone, make sure to be careful here and whatever you do, do not attract too much attention to yourselves and we do not know what else we may set off by being here." The three bishops and apprentice nodded as to be careful of their actions and then they were left alone in the bar with Denzel. Frau made a sigh out loud with Castor looking back at him as if he is suspecting he knows something else to. "Frau if you have something else you want to say then say it." Frau looked at his fellow bishop in the eye as well as Teito listening in as he revealed:" Back when I was first in the forgotten city or more precisely in the forest I hid behind for cover when I saw three silver haired individuals with all of them having bright green eyes with slits in them and black clothes. I overheard part of their conversation saying that they are planning to gather all the children with their mothers cells in that place and said something about big brother stopping them from going to reunion.
Castor was looking at Teito as if discussing about what to do about this infor until the former asked:" Three silver haired men are saying about gathering children with mothers cells. But who is this mother they are talking about and what do they want with the children? Frau have you learned those three's name yet? Frau shook his head in a frustrated manner saying:" Unfortunately, I never got the chance to learn their names and I have got a bad feeling that they contacted Ayanami and his men somehow.'' Teito analyzed the information Frau said about what little they know of the silver haired men and it might be possible they could of brought the warsfiel to Midgar in the past like Teito and the bishops but the one who sent them are an entirely different case.
Just as Teito was about to reply he saw Denzel made his way downstairs beginning to already run out the door until Frau blocked his way. "Move out of the way Bishop Frau."No kid I will not until you explain what you are doing young man. Tifa specifically told us to watch over you while out looking for Cloud." Denzel struggled against the bishops hold until he shout out. "Please I have to go find someone who can help me cure this disease and staying here will not help it." Teito sympathized with the boy about his situation thinking he did not have much time to live. "Denzel, I understand that you feel desperate to find some way to have a cure and that I want to help too but I do not know how and the healing zaiphon cast on you was not able to get rid of it entirely seeing it is a foreign substance." Denzel was not thinking straight when he shouted back:" What would you know Teito? You have never been sick enough to feel that you are dying not having people look at you in disgust as if you are a pest not deserve to breath their air."
"I may have not had any fatal illness in my life but I do understand what the feeling of being nothing to the view of other feels like. After my parents gone I had no idea what to do in fact when soldiers took me away from my home they treated me badly just for being someone not like them.'' The other boy felt bad about having Teito explain himself about parts of his past and he realized what he learned from Teito saying he lost his parents in a war of some sorts. " I apologize for being insensitive to what you are feeling and I won't ask you anymore about your life." Teito stood up from his seat when he spoke to the boy:" Denzel there is nothing wrong with asking for help you have a family here in Edge who do care about you and want to do what they can to help." The boy in confusion looked at Teito as to what he is referring to. Teito replied:" You have a family among Tifa, Cloud and Marlene they have always been there for you. I think that Cloud finding you on that day is not a coincidence but something that is like fate."
Denzel remembers the part in his past where he first met Cloud on that fateful day near the ruined church when he was along.
It was on one sunny day that a young boy who is Denzel, an orphan who lost his parents to the collapse of the Sector 7 plate two years ago had been walking amongst the rubble. The boy kept on wandering around a lot to other places when his few friends eventually left him. Denzel's old friends had been a blond haired boy and couple of other children who were the same age as him but he hasn't had contact with them and they might as well be dead from the sickness or not already leaving Edge. Denzel felt unhappy of being alone and had nothing else to do but walking to one place to another.
It was only until the boy saw a ruined church up ahead that he moved forward to take a look. Right beside it was a huge motorcycle in good condition parked in the far left side of the church and a cell phone hanging from the chain. The owner of the vehicle was not present to claim it and also a cell phone left laying around no person would leave behind. Denzel took the phone and flipped the screen to look as a new number popped up. The brown haired child clicked on the number to activate it.
Immediately, a lady's voice picked up that startled the boy as he were unprepared on how to answer.
"What a surprise you never answer Cloud. Is something wrong?"
Denzel spoke to the female on the phone in a sad way by asking for help. "Please help me, I do not know what to do."
"Who is this? Are you alright?" Then the boy answered that he seems lost as he did not know what to do and then dropped the phone in a shock. He fell onto his knees as his headache became more apparent as a result of the new sickness he was inflicted with acting up again. Denzel thought he will be dying alone until he heard footsteps approaching that stopped to where he was. The figure who was in front of him is an attractive blond haired man with glowing blue eyes wearing a one sleeved shirt and black pants with a small wolf like button on the left side of his shirt.
The man crouched down to Denzel's level asking him is he alright and then lifted the boy up and sitting him down onto his motorcycle. "Hey, are you ok?" Said the blond haired individual who offers his hand to lift the boy up and then brought him over to his vehicle to sit over. When the boy regained consciousness, he looked at his surroundings as it was quiet and then saw the man from before beside him. The man seemed worried about his well being until he spoke:" Tifa said to take you home kid. Grab on." Denzel wrapped his arms around the man's waist as the man freezed as he was startled by the action. Later the man introduced himself as Cloud Strife who is head of a delivery service in the City of Edge.
Cloud then introduced Denzel to Tifa; the woman who he is living with and a young girl named Marlene. Later on the boy met the girls adoptive father Barret Wallace who had a prosthetic arm that can morph into a gun using materia. His first impression of the man was at first cautious by him but grow used to talking to Barret since he is one of the heroes who fought in the battle against Jenova and the nightmare.
Ever since that day, Denzel was thankful he met Cloud, Tifa and the others during the time he felt lost. The boy thought of Cloud as sort of like a older brother figure and when he first met him it was like having a guardian angel by his side to give him hope that was sent from the lifestream. "I am grateful for everything Tifa and especially Cloud has done for me the time I have lived with them and they are important to me." Teito nodded in understanding at the boys exclamation.
"That's great Denzel and you should not give up hope on being cured of the geostigma and believe in Cloud to save you." Reassured Teito
Lance feeling a bit uneasy about the geostigma thinks about how people contract it. Judging by the emotions that Denzel felt in his past it was mostly negative feelings like sadness, hopelessness and despair. It then clicked in that Cloud had geostigma too because he triggered them with negative emotions. "I think I understand now how a person starts receiving geostigma, I think it would be touching an infected wounds and then the infected begin to have negative thoughts like sadness or despair reach them triggers that state." Castor glanced at his fellow bishop stating:"What do you mean Lance? Are you saying that people who have this make it worse by thinking negative and should stay positive all the time. You know it is not that simple."
"I know it is not that simple and that whoever created geostigma in the first place must of had a motive in infecting numerous people." Responded Lance as he was trying to think of a solution and Frau agreed with Lance about this suggestion as he said:"Now that you think about since anyone can get infected what would happen if Teito gets geostigma by accident? Then he would not be well enough to go travel to recieve the you know what to go to a certain place." Castor glared at Frau who was about to spill about the Land of Seele and the cursed tickets made him stop midway.
"Frau don't talk about that here where anyone can listen in and that I am sure that Mikail will not be pleased with us for getting Teito sick in some way when he entrusted you to watch over him in your guidance." Frau was send a shiver thinking about the archangel will yell at the ghost for being so reckless and getting his precious master sick that could kill him. Which reminds Frau of something, since the Seven Ghosts are divine beings (deities) they would not be affected by the geostigma unlike mortals. This means that the four bishops who are apart of the Seven Ghosts are immune to any diseases and cannot get killed easily. However there is a deep secret about all the ghosts that are unexpected no one knows about.
Teito being confused about the conversation transitioned to realization that since the eye of Mikail was taken by Ayanami it was probably in the Barsburg Imperial armies hands and hoped less Ayanami carried it on him. It does make sense that Mikail cares deeply for him and has been with him as a little child before the Raggs War and imagining his reaction should Teito get geostigma would be terrifying enough that Frau would get most of the brunt. Denzel used this distraction as a way to leave the bar unnoticed by the people in the room and then walked towards the streets.
Meanwhile with Tifa she lead Marlene and the bishop to the church with a hole in the roof to enter through the doors. Marlene ran inside to explore the place. Labrador took a look inside to see whether or not Aerith is here or not only to be disappointed that she is not. Labrador planned on bringing the others to the church to meet with Aerith to ask her some questions on why did she choose them in particular to be sent to the past when plenty of others could of been picked and not only that explain who is the enemy that is after Cloud and what do they want?
Marlene knelt down to touch the yellow flowers in a happy mood since they look lively and that them being grown inside the church is amazing because outside of the church is mostly a barren land and flowers growing in Midgar naturally was uncommon but possible. Tifa looked around the room to spot a mattress at the side with a huge chest-full of materia and a lamp. The lavender haired bishop thought that Cloud must of at some point spent the time here in the church to sleep away from his friends according to what Tifa said. For a moment Labrador was at ease with the flowers here for company alongside Tifa and Marlene until the flowers told him there is an intruder and to fight them.
"Tifa there is someone approaching be on the lookout." Said Labrador who was facing towards the entrance in caution. Tifa pushed Marlene behind her as a man with short silver haired with green slit eyes strolled inside to stop in front of the people. The man smirked at them as he said:" Do you want to play? I guess that's a no."
"Where is mother?" After the strange man finished talking he looked down at the flowers most yellow and blue as he pinched his nose in disgust. Labrador thought of this to be insulting like what right did this man insult the flowers who are the sole inhabitants of this place.
So the kind bishop made a move first by replying first:" I don't think the flowers like your attitude sir and I suggest you stop with your insults." The silver haired man turned his head to the bishop with a realization:"Ah you must be one of the travellers that Kadaj is warning about that must of came here to stop us from looking for mother." Labrador being careful on what to do in this situation wants to avoid using a shred of his ghost abilities because both Tifa and Marlene are with him and they could discover what he is. So he went with the option of conversing with this man.
"Kadaj? Is that the name of your leader and what are you doing here in this church?" The silver haired men ignored the bishops exclamation focused on teh two females beside him. He asked them once more where this mother is only for Tifa to brush him off.
"No one's here" The man narrowed his eyes at the response that made Labrador not sure what he is planning and if they have no choice but to fight. Labrador unlike his fellow bishops does not have attacking zaiphon for offensive strategies but only has healing that can heal wounds and extracting kors or evil beings from a host. The bishop has other abilities as well that include seeing into the future, summoning plant like roots from the ground since the plants and vegetation respond to him as one of the seven ghosts named Profe.
"Fine play with me." Tifa made a motion for Marlene to go to the other side of the room beside Labrador who will watch her and at the same time be on lookout just in case Tifa needs backup. Labrador informed the girl to stay back out of the fight. "Marlene stay behind this piller and whatever you do, do not step into field until Tifa is done. I will watch you here and participate in the fight." So the bishop took off to the centre of the room to aid Tifa in the fight.
He can see that Tifa is managing her own fighting the silver haired man who was punching at him and swinging her legs to hit him across the waist. On the other hand the stranger used his arm enhancements device to strike back at the women who dodged it. Labrador saw electric shocks from the man's device pushing Tifa back who landed back at the flowers. Labrador casts his zaiphon towards the man and pushing him away from Tifa who was about to be overwhelmed.
Tifa thanked the bishop for the help and went on to quickly continue the battle and using hand to hand combat to weaken the man further and then used her strength materia that she has carried on her person to throw the man to the benches. She turned around once the fight is over signaling that the man she beat is done. Marlene seeing that it was over rushed towards Tifa glad that she defeated the enemy.
Labrador did not do much in the fight other then shielding Marlene from incoming debris from the man and using his zaiphon to manipulate his surroundings to push him away. The bishop was glad that he did not have to resort to using his ghosts powers. The flowers proved him wrong as they said Profe it is not what it seems that remnant is not beaten yet and you have no choice but to use your abilities.
What do you mean little ones? Are you saying that man is not human and why do you refer to him as a remnant? Thought Labrador in confusion when he heard a bench being shoved away to reveal the man standing up with minor bruises and scratches holding his phone with a victory ringtone. "She is not here. No I am not crying." the silver haired man faced the other occupants of the room especially Marlne.
"Alright I will bring the girl." The man stepped forward strengthening his arm wrist device frowning as he was not pleased at what he received. "Now where we?" He then threw another bench towards Tifa that made Labrador call out to her. "Tifa watch out, Marlene get out of there." It was quick out of the sudden when Tifa used her arms to deflect the flying bench away instead of doging because Marlene was behind her. Unfortunately the strange man got behind her and striked leaving her to fly back at the back wall to land on the flowers to soften her landing. Labrador was about to summon his plant roots when he saw the man grabbing Tifa and about to kill her until Marlene threw a materia at him to draw his attention from Tifa onto her. Marlene bravely stood still with the chest opened beside her hoping the man will not harm Tifa any further. The man approached when something stopped him he glanced at his leg to find long thick plant roots wrapping around him wonders where it came from.
The silver haired guy turned back behind him seeing the lavender haired bishop raising his arm in a strange glowing light as the roots dragged him away from the girl and in front of the bishop. Labrador lowered his arm down when he walked towards the bound man.
"What ever you are planning on doing leave Marlene out of this. First off why are you here and are you one of those responsible for causing the geostigma? Asked Labrador as he looked at the silver haired man. The man laughed for a moment as he begin to reply:"No I can't do that; Kadaj wants me to bring the girl with me and I went here hoping big brother was here and that he knows where mother is. My brothers and I are not responsible for the illness but it was something created as a plan to harm the planet by him so that he would achieve godhood to go to the promiseland."
Labrador felt uneasy about this information revealed realized since Teito told everyone about the story of Cloud fighting Sephiroth a former general first class soldier in Shinra it is possible Sephiroth is the one to have made the illness. He also asked more questions to the man who is struggling from the bonds. "What are you exactly you don't feel like a ordinary human? But at the same time you are like part of a being and the flowers told me that you and your allies are not what they seem and calls you a remnant." Marlene who was in the background was stunned at what she is hearing; bishop Labrador seemed to have summoned plants to fight the stranger and heard that he can communicate with flowers. The only person she knew that can understand the flowers was Aerith a friend of hers long ago and that was only because she was a cetra.
"My brothers tell me that we are remnants of mother's legacy and that we are not whole. It not like for you to talk; you yourself are of sort remnant of the lost god banished onto the surface." This caught Labradors attention as to how this man knows about his secret as a seven ghosts and no one knows about except the pope and archbishop themselves. As a distraction, a bright light from the green eyed individual burst forward forcing the roots to release him and then moved quickly to attack the bishop who was momentarily off guard and then it would be the man brought his hand to the bishops neck.
The other man readied his weapon to kill the one in front of him until Labrador stopped what he was doing. His eyes widened in a realization as he saw a brief vision of a blue creature of what looks like to be a woman but is not human and labelled as Jenova; a long silver haired man Sephiroth appeared when a youth with short silver hair and green slitted eyes fell down transforming as Labrador saw Cloud in the vision jump down to follow after the boy only to be met with a sword blocking it.
"I see now you wanted to meet your mother Jenova to have her acceptance but the creature you call mother does not appreciate the three of you and focuses only on the oldest. Something will go down here in Edge which will be way worse than the nightmare." Said Labrador in a seldom expression as he had sympathy for the silver haired men that wanted to meet Jenova who they call mother but will not get it. The white haired man became angry at this upstart talking bad about mother was about to strike him down until Marlene threw a materia again at the man. The man almost forgetting what he came for pushed the bishop at the wall. Labradors last points of consciousness before blacking out was the man taking Marlene's hand and dragging her from the church and watching Tifa laying down on the flowers.
In a area full of darkness, Labrador sensed that he was unconscious in the real world as he wondered the others know what happened yet. There was a bright light in front of him as Labrador moved towards it to be taken into a vision of the future. The seeing spirit watched as it go by; one moment it was a cave with a symbol of a sphere with downward curves at the top; he saw Castor, Lance, himself and a dark blond haired girl standing inside a place presenting themselves before a set of doors that looks like a curvere back at Barsburg except green tendrils of energy where on the walls. Next, Labrador saw a figure in a dark green cloak standing in front of the four bishops and apprentice.
The figure let down the hood to reveal what seems to be Cloud Strife with a much longer hair reaching his shoulders, white streaks blending at the top of the hair with dark blond. This figure looked like Cloud but it is not him as there is a huge difference with Cloud`s hair being spiky and blue mako eyes while this look alike had radiating green slitted eyes that were glowing from an otherworldly presence and deathly feeling. The look alike took out a strange materia of dark purple and what shook the bishop startled him when it later pops up the symbol of Verlorens curse on it.
The blond haired being raised the orb higher and then the ground ruptures seeing a bunch of skeletons emerging and then facing towards the arrivals of what consist of Tifa, Vincent, teenaged girl, a feline, spear wielding man and a dark skinned man with a machine gun as part of his arm. All of them were in shock of what they are seeing especially the person in front of them except Cloud. Cloud was knocked out in Vincent's arms being carried as he looked more injured with blood running down his arms and bruises. The atmosphere turned intense what was happening as the being looked at Cloud in a worried look of importance then looked back at the humans.
Later Labrador heard voices shouting in the distance being two male voices. ``August, you do not have to be in the shadows of the seven anymore. Together we can accomplish so many things and no one will separate us.`` Another voice replied in a refusing manner:``I am sorry Hadern but all I want is for my siblings approval and your plans is not right that involves using my descendant as a sacrifice, I will not stand by as that happens.``
Labrador nearing the end of this vision then heard the voice of Ayanami who is at the Forgotten City glaring at a statue of an beautiful women. ``To think there is another fragment I did not know of and bad enough seven were created but the Overseer kept their existence a secret from. Even you will not be able to stop me Minerva.``
After the vision ends Labrador instantly woke up from passing out as he stared at the hole in the roof as the sun already setting. These visions he saw he has to warn the others of the new threat and that Cloud look a like is not human but something else and he heard the names August and Hadern are they the ones that Aerith is trying to warn them about and the danger coming for Cloud.
Note: Looks like we have reached the part where Tifa is at the old church and meets Loz to fight him but Labrador offers to come with her to be sure she is ok. However Marlene ends up getting kidnapped in the process. However there is a problem, she saw Labrador using portion of his powers such as summoning the living plants in the church and letting slip he can understand the flowers as well seeing into the future. There might come the time the four bishops and Teito will get into trouble in the first meeting with Avalanche that will not go so well and hint (Verlorens scythe).
I know in the chapter I have mentioned Mikail and that whether or not he will have an active role but he will definitely appear in the flashbacks in some way and not just involved in Teito`s past. In Labrador`s vision there are some hints about how Cloud will be involved in the conflict since he is one of the main characters of this fic along with the bishops + Teito. The mysterious being that looks exactly like Cloud is what you have to look out for and what is their relation to Cloud and what is that materia that has Verlorens symbol?