Princess/Commoner Fairytale-ish AU.

Oh yeah, one more thing - the update schedule for this is not going to be fixed. New chapters will come at kind of random intervals.

Chi-Chi looked around the festival, dressed in an old cheongsam. Her hair was down, her armor was off, and she was ready for a night in the town. She had managed to sneak out of the palace to come here, and experience the festivities, first-hand. She only ever got to see it from above, as her father prohibited her from going down and talking with the peasants. She was the princess, and that meant she was somehow above everyone else. Well, no more. She was eighteen - she was more than mature enough to handle the outside world. She wasn't going to wait for her father's approval to do it.

The streets were brightly decorated with lanterns and ribbons. The citizens were partying and conversing with one another. She had never seen this kind of camaraderie, before. It was strange: these people, though they don't have much, can still be so joyful.

"Chi!"

Chi-Chi looked to the side and smiled. Her best friend, Goku, was running up towards her, waving his hand. He picked her up and gave her a big bear hug. Ever since the engagement was called off, they rarely got to see each other. She missed the company of her only friend.

"I didn't think you'd make it," he said, as he set her down.

"Goku," she said. "I thought you'd know me better than that. It's not that hard to sneak something past my dad."

He laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, c'mon! You're missing out on the fun!" He took her arm, and pulled her deeper into the town.

They stepped through the gravel streets, looking at all the vendors and stands. They were eager to show off their latest finds and inventions, proudly displaying them to the crowds that were passing by. Goku got distracted by a food stand, and Chi-Chi continued through the town square, without him.

One booth, in particular, caught her eye. She walked up to it, and looked at the contents on the table - it was just a bunch of small capsules sitting in a woven basket. According to the small flyer, these tiny little capsules could hold any object of any size. That sounded like pure witchcraft.

"Hi, there!"

Chi-Chi jumped, and looked up. A person was in the booth, but their back was turned away from them.

"...Hi," she responded.

"Feel free to test out one of the capsules, on the table. Just press the button, and the contents will pop right out."

Chi-Chi reached in, and pulled out one of the capsules, at random. The capsule shook lightly, then exploded, in her hands. She flinched and looked away, as a bright light flashed in her face. When she looked down at her hands, there was a palm-sized charm, in her hands. It looked so much bigger than the tiny little capsule. She looked at it closely, trying to verify if it was real.

"Yeah, it's real! I've been working on that for a really long time!"

"That's amazing," Chi-Chi said.

"Oh, it's not that hard. Just simple physics, is all."

Chi-Chi looked back up, at the booth. The vendor was standing there, with a welding mask covering their face. They were wearing baggy and dirty clothes, too.

"Oh, right! Sorry about that. I forget that I have this thing on, sometimes!" They reached underneath the mask, and pushed it, above their head.

Chi-Chi nearly gasped, when she saw her face. She was covered in soot and dirt, but she was still beautiful. Her eyes practically sparkled. She was talking to her, but she was too stunned by her beauty to pay attention.

"Hey, you still in there?" She snapped her fingers in front of her face a few times. Chi-Chi blinked and tilted her head. "I asked you what your name is."

A light blush tinted her nose. "Oh, uh... Chi-Chi."

"Chi-Chi... Well, it's very nice to meet you! I don't think I've seen you around town, anywhere. You new?"

"You could probably say that."

The other woman nodded, with a sly look on her face. She leaned forward, pressing her arms on the table. "Ah. One of those types. Are you on the run from the law; did you run away from home; trying to make a new life, out here?"

Chi-Chi shook her head. "No, no, no, no, no. I just came to see the festival. I've never been to one, before."

"Well, I hope you're having a good time, so far. This is probably the most exciting it gets, around these parts, so don't get used to it."

"Yeah..." She went back to staring at her, not really knowing what to say, next.

The woman behind the counter tilted her head, slightly. "What? What's the matter."

She looked away. "Nothing! Nothing, I swear."

A few seconds passed before her next move came. The woman suddenly leaned over the booth and planted a kiss on her cheek. Chi-Chi's eyes widened, suddenly, and she grew as red as a beet. She looked back down at her, completely baffled by the act. It couldn't have been proper - she wasn't her partner or anything like that.

She just smiled and winked at her, making her heart skip a beat. She reached underneath her booth, and handed her a small slip of paper. "If you end up sticking around, let me know. I'd love to get to know you, better."

Chi-Chi looked down at it. It had a name and an address on it - Briefs.

"That's actually my dad's name on it. If you stop by, ask for Bulma."

Bulma. She even had a pretty name. She shyly looked away. "Y-yeah. I'll see you around."

Chi-Chi walked away from the booth. She looked down at the little trinket and the paper slip. Her hands grasped onto them, tightly.

Her father be damned: she would take her up on that offer.