Hey guys! Here's an idea that I've had in my head for a while. By chance, I found out today, 19th of July, is Crash Bandicoot's birthday (as revealed in the flashback tapes in It's About Time). So I thought now would be a good time to write it out. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Crash Bandicoot.

"YEE-HAW!"

A loud elated cheer escaped from Crash Bandicoot. It was evident how happy he was from one of the few times he said anything. The crazy marsupial had just finished unwrapping one of the many presents that filled the house. They had all been delivered there that morning - for the bandicoot's birthday.

Crash grinned broadly over discovering what the present he'd just opened was. He held it up for Coco and Aku Aku to see it.

"A Wumpa Fruit?" Coco exclaimed. "Gee, Crash! You're really being spoilt on your birthday, aren't ya?"

Crash only smiled silently in his delight over what he'd been gifted with. He looked at the large yellow fruit for a little longer - before throwing it over his shoulder to join the other wumpas that had been given to him for his birthday.

"Now, Crash, make sure you say thank you to everyone who gave you a presents!" Aku Aku said. "They must have gone through a lot of trouble to get you something special in time for your birthday! It's important you express your gratitude to each and every one of them!"

Crash stared, not understanding the magical mask's logic. It couldn't have been any trouble for anybody to get him a present - as all who had done so had given him the exactly same thing. It wouldn't have taken them any effort to find his favourite fruit which grew in the jungles of N. Sanity Island. Besides, how could Aku Aku seriously expect him to say thank you? Everyone knew Crash was a marsupial of few words.

"Why don't you open that one, Crash?" Coco suggested, pointing to a present that stood out from the rest. "It might be something different other than Wumpa Fruit.

Crash turned to where his sister was pointing. The gift she'd averted his attention to sat in the corner of the Bandicoot House. It was in the shape of a crate, covered in red wrapping paper.

Walking over to the parcel, Crash stared down at it. He gave it a little nudge with his foot. His pointed easy didn't pick up any sounds of fumbling or rattling from inside the present. Whatever this wrapped-up box held, it was certainly no Wumpa Fruit.

"Go on, big brother!" Coco urged. "Open it!"

Needing no further encouragement, Crash grinned. He stood alongside the crate-shaped present - and spun.

BOOM!

"Whoa!"

A huge explosion suddenly filled the room as the box blew to pieces - and took Crash with it. Coco and Aku Aku jumped back with fright as he was blown sky high. The mask and younger bandicoot ran to the burnt mark in the floor where the gift had detonated. Both instantly realised what Crash's present had been as his eyeballs and shoes fell from the air to land on the smouldered spot.

"What the heck?!" Coco cried. "Who would give an awful gift?"

Aku Aku narrowed his eyes. "Only someone so notoriously, diabolically evil would give such an incredibly dangerous birthday present to Crash..."

"Foolish Bandicoot! You should know not to spin open your presents! You never know when someone might give you a TNT crate for your birthday!"

Doctor Neo Cortex laughed manically over seeing on the monitor before him what had happened just to Crash. The evil scientist had shipped a TNT box all the way from his castle to the Bandicoot House. A smug smile was plastered to the doctor's face - which disappeared when he saw his enemy respawn on the spot. With all the extra lives he kept on him, it was impossible for Crash to stay destroyed, no matter how brutally anything slaughtered him.

"I rue the day I decided to create you - on this exact date all those years ago!" Cortex sulked. "You were supposed to lead my army of mutated freaks into helping me conquer the world! How little I knew you would end up foiling my evil plans - time and time again!"

Cortex propped his head up with a gloved hand as he watched the monitor before him. He could see Crash was now find and dandy as if he had not just been blown up. The scientist shook his head over how easily pleased his adversary was - by starting to munch away one of the many Wumpa Fruits that were piled up in his house.

"Still, happy birthday, Crash Bandicoot!" Cortex couldn't help but let off a chuckle. "You wouldn't even exist if it weren't for me! The least I could do for you on your special day is make it a blast!"

Thanks for reading! Hope you got a laugh out of this! Here's to the N. Sane orange marsupial whose games I've been happily playing since childhood! Hope there are many more new ones to come! Happy birthday, Crash Bandicoot! :D