"I sure did hit big in the that last place I was at" a brown hair and eye owner of his own costume shop said as he looked over all the costume that he had recently required using his own special methods. He really did not expect to clean up like that considering where he was yet what done is done, as while he would like to stay there a bit longer it was well pass time for him to move on to new place and get to work in get some new costumes to get bit more variety back to his shop.

The only problem now is to decide where to go next the store owner thought as there were a number of places that he would like to go but he want to go somewhere where he could clean up just as well as he did in his last venture.

After a few minutes of thinking, he had come what with where he was going to go next and had real good feeling about the place as well.
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"Of all the day for it to pour rain like this" Ranko said to herself anger tone as on her as the weather report did not mention anything about this sudden down pour that just had to happen she was in the middle of trying to get away from Kuno siblings trying to date/kill her.

The red hair girl managed to turned a corner before the Kuno siblings and she tried ducking in a store hoping they were pass her and apparently luck seem to be on her side this time as they ran straight past the store without even thinking once about her being inside store.

Ranko stay crouched behind the store front display for a while before peaking her head up to make sure that the crazed siblings were long gone. Seeing that they were Ranko let out a sigh of relief as she stood up no longer having to hide herself.

"Those two just can not take a hint and Ranma has been no help in deal with them" Ranko growled. As once again Ranma and his cursed form were separate beings however unlike all the other times that can before where she was mirror clone, evil twin, or something, this time she was just a normal girl no different than any other.

It all started about a month ago when Ranma had once again pissed off Happosai but get rid of his latest 'collection.' As way of punishing him for this act the old man decide that he was going to trap Ranma in his curse form as he liked that better than his normal one. However things did not go as planned as the jar that he had was mislabeled which he found out shortly after doused Ranma with it. The cursed water was actually from the Spring of Drowned Twins thus splitting Ranma into his two separate forms. This last mishap was soon thought as blessing in disuse as Ranma and 'Ranko' were not affected by cold and hot water individually but had to be splashed at the same time for the curse revert Ranma back to his original form. Thus this was one cursed form that Ranma really did not matter staying in even if he did loss everything he learned and experience in the last year to Ranko, who's her memories and abilities were everything that Ranma had learned and experience since he fell in the spring of Drowned Girl.

However while this solve some of Ranma problems by just dumping them on Ranko. Kuno had seen this as his pigtailed goddess being freed of Ranma's control and constantly tried to ask her out. While his crazy sister still tried to kill her for trying to take Ranma away.

Other problems had arisen for her coming into existence as Shampoo and Ukyo kept sucking up to her like she get Ranma to like them better while Akane was somewhat angry and confused about how to deal with her. While her mother was trying to make her into proper woman despite her being a tomboy and her father treating her the same as Ranma. Then there were those that just could not seem to get that she was not Ranma anymore and treated her as such. Dumping hot water on her when she repeatedly said it had no effect on her alone. That probably her biggest problem as she was living in Ranma's shadow unable to get out now that she was her own person.

Sighing Ranko looking outside as the rain started coming down even harder than when she was out there just a few minute before

'I starting to think I got the water magnet curse' Ranko thought as she was constantly get splashed with water or caught in sudden rain showers like this while Ranma barely got touch anymore.

'Since I am not going anywhere for the moment might as well check this place out' Ranko thought as there was something about this place that caught her eye.

As she looked around she notice a number of various costumes that spread out the store and a bunch of display stands as well that looked like they held mannequins or something that display what the costume would look like on a person. Yet they were all empty even the space in the front window that she noticed now that she looked over there.
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As Ranko was looking around the store she did not know that she was being watched by the store owner with smirk on his face as he had just found his first target while he was here.

"Maybe it because I look to much like Ranma, if I change my appearance them maybe I start changing the way that people see me" Ranko thought out loud.

"That might work elsewhere but not here as no matter what you do will always be in Ranma's shadow because weather you like or not you are Ranma's shadow simply with the mind of a girl" the store owner said

Ranko started to protest to what he said but stopped as the brown hair man simply stated everything that she fear happening as despite having her own mind now in the minds of those around she was still simply Ranma's curse form.

Though I know one way that get a chance at being a your own person not one that was born from someone else's shadow the store owner said.

"Really what the catch" Ranko asked as she wonder why this man would just give her something for free.

"No catch I just would like to offer you a chance at new life" the brown hair store owner said.

The redhead girl just stood there shocked they even knew this might about her but this seem better then what was awaiting her where she was simply used in order to get close to Ranma, was hunted by Kuno siblings that wanted to date or kill her, or people that could seem to get that she was not Ranma.

"Well Miss Saotome what will it be do you want the chance at new life or to just keep your old one" the brown eye man asked.

"This costume you are offering me I will not have to pay for right you are just give to me" Ranko asked.

"Of course as my way of making up to you I am offering you a pick of any outfit that you wished within the store" they offered

"Okay then I think I take you up on that offer" Ranko said as she then went about looking over the costume that were available.

The selection was from a number different shows that she had seen before and those that she never heard of either.

However after couple of minutes of looking the redhead girl had her sights set on the Megaman outfits.
Going through a number of them she passed over the some the well-known characters like Megman, X, Zero, and Axel for one that she just seem call out to her also as if it was compelling her to pick it.

"I will be taking this one here though I have a question" Ranko said as she held up the costume of Nana the operator that took the place of Alia during Megaman X Command Mission.

"As you wish Miss Saotome and may I ask what that question is" the store owner asked.

"It strange but all the Megaman outfits are just the armor portions and the accessory as bodysuit or part not cover by armor are missing" the redhead pointed out using the Nana costume as an example where only the chest armor, bracelet, belt, and boots were present.

"Those problems are solved once you start to put it on however there will be no turning back as will become a mixture of yourself and Nana" the store owner told her.

"Is that all?" Ranko asked as that did not seem that bad.

"Well there is a chance that your original memories will be completely replaced or at the very least the mixture of you and Nana might not include your martial arts but simply your personality and fragments of your past made to fit Nana. Ranko I would advise you to take your time and think this over very carefully as there is no turning back once you put on the costume" they informed her

Ranko was then left standing there holding the Nana costume deep in thought over what she had been told as this was it she had costume all that was left was did she actually have guts to put on and possibly lose all her martial arts abilities. It was not like she would care if that happens as she might not ever remember having them in the first place but then again she at least what that part of her old life to remain in her new one. Then there was the fact that did she really want to be Nana as she knew that were something about her costume that drew her in but this was one chance thing she would not get second chance to pick another if she did not want this.

After an hour or so deep thought Ranko came to her decision that she would take the Nana outfit as her
own.

"I see that you have made your decision" the store owner said as they appeared next to Ranko scaring her as she did not even know that they were there until they spoke out.

"I have so where the changing room" Ranko asked as the store owner pointed her towards them near the back of the store.

Within the changing room Ranko looked at herself in the mirror and then held the Nana costume in front of her to get idea of how she would look before put it on and her mind was affected by the magic within it.

'Well I better get this over with as I have already made up my mind it just time to get through with it now' Ranko thought as she began take off her clothes leaving them on one of them hanger that was on the door.

Ranko took a look at her old clothes one last time before picking up the two antennas like device that Nana had on her head, then she took the ear pieces and stuck them on over her ears.

She then just stared at her reflection in the mirror as she did not feel any different than in a flash her head cause her to stiffen up like board and her eyes went vacant. Her hands white turned like almost like she was wearing gloves, her hair stay the same color but length shrunk to Nana's size and the normally white tip was now black instead as everything under her below her neck turned black as her own body was transformed into the missing part of her costume.

Ranko blink as her eyes returned normal and she wonder why she was looking at her antenna like it was the first time she had seen them. Completely oblivious to the changes to her body nor did she have any idea that she had ever been a boy let a human.

Sighed as she put on her chest armor, slipped bracelets-gauntlet like things onto her wrist, put her belt on, and slipped on her boots.

After everything was on, she looked herself over in the mirror a few time to make sure that everything was on right and then Nana walked out the changing booth.

"All finished I see then please put those clothes just hanging in on the door in their proper place. As for you are not to move until I order you too is that understood" the store owner said.

"Yes master" Nana said as she handed over her old clothes which had become a costume themselves after her own body had been transformed into reploid.

The store owner posed Nana in the position she wanted her to take as she currently follow her order not to move until instructed so he had to do this himself. Once done he then placed her in the front window where she would be used to attract others to the store where they would share the same fate as her if they put one of the costumes.

Though what had happened to Nana to leave her in this state was once she exited outside the booth her personality matrix went offline thus leaving her in a state that anyone could order her around. However this effect would last as long as she never set foot outside the store, once she had done that her personality matrix would come back online. Also Ranko's persona and abilities would finish merging with Nana, transformation would be complete, and reality would be adjust to that everyone remember her as the reploid Nana made to fix Ranko's place in this world. However the store owner decided that not what they wanted at the moment as there were still many others he was interested in acquiring before making any final decision on Nana's fate .