#sandbuster

@how-to-train-your-theorist

Sketched out Toothless’ fam faster than a Speed Stinger! Here we have his adoptive dragon family: his father Deserteye, his mother Sage, and his sisters Dawn and Sandwasp! I made them ages ago when I was just starting out as an artist and writer, and I was really inspired by “Beautiful Shades of a Night Fury” when writing his story (actually Toothless’ family and backstory is almost exactly like Nightshade’s story in that comic; rememer Nightshade? The blue female Night Fury that everybody shipped with Toothless before the Light Fury came around?)

As you’ve probably noticed, Deserteye is the odd one out in this family, because he’s not a Sand Wraith. He’s a Sandbuster, a dragon that lives in the same territory as Sand Wraiths and has learned to coexist by building them those large elaborate dens while the Sand Wraiths protect them and give them food bc they can’t hunt aboveground.

When Toothless was a baby, he was found by Deserteye in a rotting wooden chest and a cut in his leg. He was barely six months old, freezing, and scared to death, so Deserteye decided to take the little black cub up to the surface and find a Sand Wraith who would take care of him. Thankfully, he came across Sage as she was out on a hunt near his den and he let the two stay in while a dust storm raged outside. Sage let the baby drink her milk and fall asleep beside her until the storm passed, and Deserteye didn’t see her for another few days until she came back with her other two cubs (baby Dawn and Sandwasp), saying that her mate Taipan had left her after making her choose between the cub and him, and she asked if they could stay with him. He agreed, and over time, Deserteye and Sage fell in love over taking care of this little family. Deserteye started going aboveground at night or on cloudy days so he could adapt to sunlight, and eventually grew an immunity to it so he could spend more time with his family.

Sage is Toothless’ adoptive mother, and before she and Deserteye properly met, she was mated to Taipan, a male Sand Wraith, whom she had two daughters and a son with. The son didn’t make it, which tore Sage and Taipan apart because Taipan had loved him more than their other two cubs, and he was often out hunting or just out in general, not wanting to be around his mate or his remaining offspring. When Sage received the little black cub from Deserteye, Taipan was furious when he found out that his mate had been in the den of a Sandbuster and had taken in his mutated runt, so he gave her a choice: Him or the cub. She chose the cub, and she never saw Taipan again. After a few days, Sage realized that she couldn’t take care of three cubs by herself, so she went to the den of that kind Sandbuster who had given her the black cub, and he was more than happy to let them stay in his den for as long as they’d like. They named the black cub “Toothless” together (because his teeth were growing in late), and Sage let herself love again after being with Deserteye for a long time. They’re even thinking of having cubs of their own if possible.

Dawn is the more bubbly one of Toothless’ sisters, and she loves adventure and exploring. She doesn’t remember much about her birth father, but she doesn’t really care since she already has Deserteye as an amazing dad. When Toothless left, she wasn’t as outgoing as usual, but found solace in her girlfriend Mirage, a leucistic Sand Wraith who had always been there for her.

Sandwasp is to Dawn as Raven is to Starfire. She’s fierce and no-nonsense, and she isn’t afraid to fight if she has to. She doesn’t remember her birth father, but she knows why he left her mother, which is probably why she’s so angsty all the time. She finds a mate in Saguaro, an equally fiery male Sand Wraith who was good friends with her brother Toothless before he left.

Everything about this episode is great. I love the uncommon duos that are shown, like Hiccup and Snotlout, and Fishlegs and Astrid.

Like how you can tell Snotlout really wants to help Hiccup with his gift for Astrid and just likes annoying Hiccup, and how Fishlegs is acting as Astrid’s wingman.

The twins as usual are great, with Tuffnut having the trigger word “tears” and Ruff comforting him 🥹. Also the twins helping Astrid with their great fashion sense, amazing.

All the hiccstrid too 😍. Hiccup tells her that she’s the greatest gift he could ever have like what??!! They’re so cute and for what. And when Astrid was trying to avoid Hiccup, that was kind of funny. When she said Stormfly was just excited to see Johan Stormfly looked at her like “bitch what??”

Or when Astrid is frantically looking for Hiccup and even lashes out at the twins because she’s so worried. But she does apologize, she learned from an earlier episode not to be too harsh on them, even though Tuff’s comment about Hiccups leg was a little out of pocket.

Even the new dragon in this episode was great. I personally really like the Sandbuster, it’s glass thing is really cool, and it’s model is really interesting too, I really like how it looks.

Oh! And when Hiccup and Snotlout disappear, Hookfang freaks out and starts digging in the sand cus he’s worried 🥹, he’s the cutest (he’s my favorite dragon in the whole franchise so ima little biased)

But my all time favorite part about this episode is Snotlout’s obvious character growth. From HTTYD 1 and Rob/DoB and even a little from the first few seasons of RTTE, Snotlout has grown and matured a lot throughout the series. But you can really tell just how much he’s grown to respect Hiccup as a leader and care/value him as a friend in this episode. He really tries to help Hiccup “fix” his gift for Astrid, even though Hiccups gift is already perfect❤️, still, the necklace idea was great. And he tells Amus they weren’t leaving without Hiccup, when in earlier shows, he definitely would of got out of there to save himself. And how he just trusts Hiccup can get them out of there instead of fighting him on it and saying he should be in charge. You can still see arrogant and obnoxious Snotlout was still there, now he’s just mature enough to realize his own strengths and Hiccups strengths. And he knew that he probably wouldn’t be too much help in this situation by coming up with a plan. I don’t know if any that made sense but I tried. I’m not good with words 🥲

I still love how Hiccup and Snotlout kept their sassy and head butting relationship though! The little comments through out this episode really made appreciate this duo more.

Snotlout: Aaargh!! I hate being confused!

Hiccup: Really? I figured you’d be used to it by now.

Snotlout: Heard that-

Snotlout: Oowww! You break this stuff it’s really sharp owowowow-

Hiccup: Then don’t break it

Snotlout: A little late for that- but thank you☺️

Snotlout: I don’t know just do what he says, he’s always right so there’s really no point.

Hiccup: What was that Snotlout?

Snotlout: You’re like a ray of light. Lighting my way. Super shiny! Never mind.

Hiccup: yeah yeah, uh huh…

Ofc!

1) Rumblehorn

2) Timberjack

3) Thornridge

4) Triple Stryke

5) Shovelhelm

6) Death Song

7) Seashocker

8) Night Lights

9) Sandbuster

After a While, Here’s another Hybrids complilations

Griffender (Wooly Howl X Stormcutter)

Stormburple (Hotburple X Stormcutter)

Ice wraith (Snow wraith X Groncicle)

Ice ring (Triple stryke X Snow wraith)

Tremorous Scorpitaur (Thunderpede X Tripe Stryke)

Sand Bandit (Sand wraith X Sand buster)

Deathbuster (Sweet Death X Sand buster)

Sweet Wraith (Sweet Death X Sand wraith)

Death Maggot (Whispering Death X Sweet Death)

Balding Nadder (Light fury X Deadly Nadder)