It felt like forever as Zuko finally arrived back in the capital with his friends, greeted by the citizens of Caldera as they drew in a carriage through the streets to make it back to the palace. And of course the moment Zuko stepped outside into the court yard Iroh came running. A wide smile on his face and with open arms ready for that hug.

Zuko just chuckled as he let him. "Hi Uncle." he smirked.

"So good seeing you Nephew." Iroh beamed as he let go. "And look at that. You look good. That trip must have been really good for you. Your skin is shining!" he grinned.

"It was amazing!" Aang grinned as he jumped out as well. "The fire nation is so cool! And people were so happy! It was so great to see!"

Iroh beamed. "That's wonderful. I'm glad you all had a good time. You must tell me all about it!" he stated. "All though…."

Zuko blinked. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's a good thing you're here." Iroh then admitted. "Perhaps you would know what to do with… That." he pointed over his shoulder.

Zuko blinked as he looked at where Iroh was pointing and then he gaped. "What the?!" he exclaimed as… What looked almost like a red serpent was laying in the shade of a tree.

But it had wings and whiskers and seemed to be about three meters long. Not nearly as big as a full grown dragon, but a lot bigger than what it had been when he had first been hatched.

"Dru-Druk?!" Zuko gaped as the dragon opened its eyes revealing its shining yellow, and then by the sight of Zuko the dragon immediately stood up and zoomed towards Zuko. "Wai-Wai-Wait!" Zuko shouted only to be knocked down on the ground with a dragon standing on his chest. And then it pressed its heads towards Zuko as a rumbling sound escaped the dragons throat.

"Woah." Sokka gaped. "What in the world?" he asked.

"That's Druk." Aang pointed. "It's Zukos dragon. Zuko has a dragon now."

"I what?!" Zuko asked from the ground still with a young dragon on him.

"Yeah Druk pretty much chose you as his partner the moment you picked him up after he hatched." Aang said.

"He did what now?" Zuko asked.

"Oh…" Iroh blinked. "I did hear stories of that. In the past dragons would choose a human partner. Usually fire bending masters they deemed worthy of their fire."

"Huh. Makes sense." Mai commented as she squatted down. "Zuko is pretty much the only true fire bending master around."

"I'm offended by that." Iroh informed in a short huff.

"Okay. Okay. Get off." Zuko finally managed to push Druk off him and sat up himself. Only to have a dragon stand right in front of him. "Erhm.." he tried. "Look. It's not that I don't appreciate this… But I don't know what to do with you!" he said.

"May I suggest to open up the old dragon stables and let him stay there?" Iroh said. "They haven't been used for nearly a hundred years but it should surface right?"

"We have dragon stables?!" Zuko shouted as he stood up. "Why?!"

"There was a time where the fire lords would usually have dragon partners." Iroh informed calmly. "Sozin had a dragon partner as well."

"Wait… hold on." Zuko held up his hands. "Sozin had a dragon… And then he ordered that people kill all the dragons?! How does that make any sense?!" he asked.

"All the dragons except his own one." Iroh said. "His own dragon was burried next to him when it died naturally as is tradition for those who had a dragon partner."

"That's super hypocritical!" Zuko exclaimed.

"Yes. It is." Iroh agreed only for Zuko to almost trip as a certain dragon was pushing him again.

Zuko looked at Druk. "How am I even supposed to take care of a dragon?! I don't know how to take care of a dragon!"

"I don't think you have to do that much. Dragons are super intelligent you know." Aang grinned as he padded Druk on the head. "Just give him a place to sleep and food ones in a while. Then let him handle himself."

"What do dragons even eat?!" Zuko exclaimed.

"Meat! Obviously!" Sokka exclaimed. "It's a dragon! Just look at those fangs. Those are meat eater fangs!"

Iroh shook his head. "Usually fish." he said. "And the thing about dragons is that often they go out to hunt and have just one large meal that lasts them for over a week. We shouldn't be his sole source of food. Dragons needs to hunt to keep up their strength and instinct."

"Well that's a relief." Zuko sighed deeply running a hand through his hair.

"He's not your pet Zuko. He's your partner." Aang instructed. "You need to think of him as an equal. And sometimes he's just gonna go off and do what he wants. Like hunting for fish probably. Or maybe even to find a lady dragon friend." he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh… Okay… Erhm." Zuko hesitated. "Hi… Druk." he tried again. "Sooo erh… You want to stay here with me?" he asked.

The dragon kept looking up at him, its golden eyes glistening.

"I guess that's a yes." Zuko sighed deeply. "Let's just fix those dragon stables then." he said. "Maybe we can make room for Appa too. I mean he's free to stay in the gardens like he has done until now. But maybe he'll like a stable to call his place."

"THAT'S A GREAT IDEA!" Aang beamed with both his arms in the air.

Mai smirked as she walked over to the dragon who looked up at her with its golden eyes. "His eyes are just like yours Zuko." she pointed out then reached out her hands and Druk allowed her and she smirked. "So you'll help keep the idiot safe too. Sweet." she said. "I just thought we needed a flesh eating lizard who flies and spits fire."

At that Druk huffed a few sparks.

"Cool." Mai smirked.

"So… You're okay with this?" Zuko asked.

"I don't really think we have a choice. The Lizard clearly imprinted on you." Mai commented as she leaned up against Druk. "Even if he didn't though. Having a dragon in the backyard is cool. I'm so going to scare the crap out of the next assassin who comes here."

"Heh." Zuko smirked.

"So you're going to part of the pact huh?" Mai asked the dragon.

"Wait. What pact?" Zuko asked as Zhau-Li coughed into this hand.

"He's part of the pact." Mai smirked. "Good dragon." she padded Druk on the head. And he actually hummed in response.

Zuko blinked as he looked at the dragon… Why did he suddenly have the feeling that his own dragon partner had already turned traitor?