Horns of Fate (Bleach oc Fanfic)

Part Six: Decisions are made

Keishin opens his eyes to a swirling mist, the ground is rocky beneath his feet and a lone tumbleweed drifts across the horizon.

"What?" His voice echoes. "Is this..... is this my inner world?" Nothing, he'd only been inside his inner world when discovering the name of his zanpakuto and several times since then. But it's never looked like this.

"So you've finally awaken then." a voice calls. "It's about damn time."

He turns, expecting to see the large hulking form of his zanpakuto waiting for him, but the zanpakuto that awaits him is different. Not at all like it usually appears to him.

"Taureus? what happened to you?" He asks.

His zanpakuto which usually appears in the form akin to a Minotaur, half man and half bull. Flames escaping from around his wrists where fur meets skin. Horns that swept out and then upwards into dangerous points and heavy hoofed feet. Wearing a heavy fabric cloth that fell around it's legs. What would normally be a thick heavy mane was more like fire that flowed and acted accordingly to his emotions.

This one's head wasn't a bulls head anymore, well not one that was covered in fur. Instead something like a gleaming bulls skull was there, the horns no longer sweeping out to the side and the upwards, but now sweeping out and then forwards in front of it's face. The fiery mane was still there, though now it burned so hot it was blue in colour. Even the heavy cloth was now a deep black that threatened to swallow the light.

"Are you really Taureus?"

The golden hollow eyes narrowed in the eye holes of the mask. "I really don't think I've changed that much."

Keishin sighs irritably. "Yeah? try looking in a mirror." He looks around swiftly. "Oh wait you live in a damn savannah! who does that?"

The large beast stomps a hoof sending sparks into the air. "Hey it's not like I chose to live here, this is your inner world moron."

"Oh so it's my fault then, you know you've been kind of a jackass lately it's becoming annoying." He argues back.

The mane of flames flares for a moment. "Well maybe I woudn't have to be if you would only get off your ass once in a while."

Keishin sighs. "Whatever, we don't have time for this." He looks up. "Would you mind explaining to me why you look like this?"

Taureus snorts, small flames escaping through the skeletal nose. "To put it simply, you have gained the powers of a Hollow, forcibly but that is what has happened." He gestures to himself with a large hand. "And it is why I look like this."

Keishin frowns in concern. "A Hollow? but I.... how?"

Taureus looks away. "I suspect the one keeping it at bay for now would be able to explain that better then I, that strange man."

'Strange man?' He thinks. "Wait do you mean Kisuke? why would he know?"

This time Taureus looks at him. "I suspect he's dealt with this before, I expect I'll look like this until the mask is removed." He sighs. "Something only you can do."

Keishin rubs his face. "Great just perfect, I dont expect the Soul Society to like this." He groans. "Even if what you say is true, this being forced, Soul Reapers are forbidden from gaining Hollow powers. More then likely out there they're begining to exacute us for this."