Author note: I do not own 'The Last Story' or 'Yakitate! Japan.'

I don't really know how in the world I thought up a crossover like this...I hope I do get everyone in decent character.

Warnings: Possible spoilers for the Last Story as this takes place post-game, possible spoilers for some parts of 'Yakitate! Japan,' violence, usage of alcohol, possible pairings and I think that's it...

Construcitve Criticism or reviews would be great, and I hope you guys read, review and enjoy! Thanks!

Reasonable Excuses

1. Beginning

Meister Kirisaki woke up, feeling the rough ground underneath his somewhat-sore body. He blinked, his light blue eyes a bit dazed, and sat up, before realizing something as he looked around...

He wasn't on a ground, technically. He was on a roof, literally.

"What the-" He did his best to straighten his titanium mask as he looked around quietly. "This isn't Japan." He concluded to himself before he noticed a window nearby. He looked upwards, realizing the window was attached to a tower, and attached to the tower was a gigantic building with other towers attached to it as well.

This is a castle? And I'm on the roof of it? How odd...

Meister wasn't sure of how he ended up here, but at least it wasn't like he was in an ocean swimming for his life or something. If this place was a castle, there should be people in there. And if there are people in there, they might be able to help him.

He cautiously made his way towards the window, carefully balancing on the unsteady roofing and tried to pry open the window with his bare hands. Unfortunately, it was stuck shut. Meister let out a sigh of frustration, realizing that it was probably locked. Before he could turn away from the window, he then took notice that a lady, dressed in a black dress with a white apron, had spotted him.

"Excuse me, miss? Can you-" He started speaking, praying that she could hear him, but the woman let out a scream at his sudden appearance and fainted instantly. He let out a groan. "Do I actually look scary with the mask on? Or maybe it was me appearing in front of the window like that..." He asked himself, but he had no time to answer as a figure clad in armor from head-to-toe rushed into the room, saw him, and started to load a crossbow. "Wait, don't-"

He dove out of the way just as the arrow pierced through the window, causing him to tumble downwards and off the roof. He flipped a few times in the air, and landed on some roofing below on both feet, using his arms to help him balance.

"So much for that idea." He murmured quietly, before looking below him. There were some people strolling about in the open space, with a large fountain in the middle. There was also some greenery strategically placed about, and he immediately assumed it must be a courtyard. He took note of the set of large doors to his right, and figured that they probably led to inside the castle. And inside the castle, there must be a way to get out of the castle grounds.

Before he could continue with his train of thought, he noticed a few people, clad in the same armor as the figure that shot at him with the crossbow earlier, enter the courtyard.

"Search! Look for the intruder!" He heard from below. "He could be anywhere..."

"Goodness gracious." Meister murmured quietly. "This is not good..."

So much for getting help, here. I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them I woke up on the rooftops, anyway. Suppose I have no choice but to go outside the castle, then...

He hesitated, before taking a few steps back. He took a deep breath, before running and leaping off the roof and onto the stone-tiled floor of the courtyard. Some of the armor-clad people let out a cry of shock as he bolted towards the large doors.

"Get that man! Now!"

Meister paid no attention to the soldiers rushing after him as he entered what appeared to be a large hall, filled with other people. There was a large staircase to his right, but his mind was focused on the large pair of doors to his left, now. He prayed that they led to outside of this building...

One of the guards moved to try to block him, but being the agile person he always was, he simply ducked to his right and tripped the guard quickly before rushing through the doors.

Sunlight temporarily blinded him as he continued to rush away from the soldiers and through what appeared to be a plaza. There were some children and adults that seemed shocked by his sudden presence, as well as the soldiers chasing him.

"He's getting away!"

The blond focused a bit on his breathing as he neared the streets. He ducked into a nearby alley, hoping that it connected to another street and that he could blend in with the crowds of people walking about.

His luck ran out as soon as he realized he had hit a dead end. He turned, spotting the guards nearing him.

"Don't move." One of them growled, before lunging at him. Immediately, Meister did what most people would do-fight, of course, until he could figure out a way to get out of this. The guard was kicked in the face, before given a harsh punch to the stomach.

"I do apologize in advance for the inconvenience I will bring right now." Meister spoke to the other guards before sending a few more punches and kicks flying towards them. He didn't exactly like violence, and he honestly didn't want to pick a fight with these soldiers, but they weren't going to listen to his explanations. They crumpled to the ground quickly, and Meister let out a sigh before glancing at some nearby crates stacked together. He scrambled onto the crates, before climbing onto the roofing.

He quickly rushed across the rooftops, doing his best to get as far as he could from those guards. As soon as he felt that he had run a safe distance, he sat down and let out a quiet breath of relief before cringing a bit. Dang it, he'd twisted his ankle in the chaotic pursuit earlier... Oh well. There wasn't much he could do about it for now except to rest a bit for now.

He quietly did his best to stretch a bit. Thank goodness he had that amount of agility and strength...He had to thank his childhood in France for that. If it wasn't for that, surely he would have been assaulted successfully every day by pickpockets or bullies at school back then, and would have ended up losing hard-earned money he got from selling bread that he made himself...

Before he had a complete chance to relax, though, a bunch of popping sounds suddenly interrupted his peace and he jumped back somewhat, startled. He felt something get snatched out of his sleeve, and he turned to see a young child staring in confusion as he pulled out a bunch of scarves, tied together like a rope, in one hand. The other hand held something else-a peacock feather-and Meister immediately gritted his teeth slightly, realizing that they must have grabbed little bit of his pet bird that was safely hidden behind his mask...

"What the-" He looked up at Meister, before fleeing. "Leolio, Catoleya, run!" he shouted. He and two other children that Meister now spotted fled, and Meister felt compelled to follow them. Not only did they just take one of his old magic things, but they plucked a feather from his beloved pet!

"Get back here, please!" Meister shouted as he leapt from one rooftop to the next. "Seriously, it's not nice to take things from other people!" He hated to sound so harsh, but he was already frustrated from all the chasing that had occurred so far. He eventually corned them in an alley, and he took a deep breath before speaking. "Give them both back. Please." He spoke quietly, calming himself. "The feather...um, it belongs to my pet and he honestly doesn't like it when people pluck feathers from it like that. Actually, I don't think any bird likes that. And the scarves...I think I'll need them. Most of them, anyway."

"Fine." The girl huffed. "Braso, give them back..." The boy that held the items gave them back to Meister.

"Thank you." Meister spoke quietly in response. "I'm just wondering, miss..."

"Catoleya." The girl responded quietly, before gesturing to the other boys. "These guys are Leolio and Braso, my friends. And who are you, bird man?"

"Bird man?" Meister paused, remembering that there were feathers sticking out of his mask... "My name is...Sylvan. Sylvan Kirisaki." He introduced himself quietly. "I was just wondering...What is this place, exactly?"

Braso's face seemed to scrunch up slightly. "You don't know what this place is? Are you a traveler or something?" He asked, crossing his arms. "Everyone knows what Lazulis City is!"

"I see...And about the traveler remark, perhaps one could assume I am one..." He trailed off, looking down at his frilled white shirt and matching-coloured trousers and shoes. "A travelling entertainer, to be more precise. A magician." He figured that no one was going to believe that he was general manager of the main branch of the bakery Pantasia in Tokyo, Japan. Having the identity of a magician suited him, anyway, considering that he did know magic tricks. "Do you know any place where I could stay, perhaps? I am in need of shelter, and the people I tried to ask earlier," He winced at the memory of the guards, "Were not very helpful."

"Well..." Leolio paused, before pointing to his left. "If you go down there, I think you're pretty close to Ariela's Tavern. I'm sure she wouldn't mind taking you in as long as you have enough money."

Meister cringed as he realized that he probably didn't have any cash on hand. "...Do you think it's possible to work it off? I think I might be staying in this city for a while."

"Maybe." Catoleya responded, shrugging a bit. "Well, see ya later, mister Sylvan!" The kids rushed off before he could ask anymore questions, and Meister let out a sigh. He immediately summoned his pet peacock, Coo, out from behind his mask, and the bird let out a caw before Meister put a finger to his lips.

"Hush, Coo." Meister spoke quietly, looking around as he got down on a knee to face his pet properly. "Look, I don't know how we got into this city. And I'm sorry that those kids were able to pluck a feather from you. Just...Just behave, alright? If either of us screws up something, we'll probably end up in a jail or get killed." The bird obediently nodded, and Meister stood, before glancing towards the end of the alley.

Hopefully, at Ariela's Tavern, there would be someone to help him out there. And if he was going to survive in this city, he would probably have to make a few reasonable lies, or as he saw it, reasonable and believable excuses for his identity as well.

Author note: ...I've always wondered how Meister was able to summon all those birds from underneath his mask...Or how he got them behind his mask in the first place. Then again, he's a magician, and a magician never reveals his tricks.