dragons had always been a creature of grandness, of beauty and strength, in zuko’s eyes, since the very day he first learned about them. he adored their nature, just about everything about them, and thought they were beloved by all as they so rightfully deserved... how his heart broke when he found that they weren’t loved. they were nothing more than trophies for the men of the fire nation. they were a status for the egotistical and cruel. in their death came celebration, with so much disregard for such majestic, breathtaking creatures.
his heart shattered more and more as more and more tales of dragons being slain became the talk of the nation. and truth be told? he certainly held a grudge against his uncle, one of a few reasons for his coldness towards the man, for apparently slaying one. thankfully, he hadn’t and had simply lied in order to protect them.
iroh and zuko ( and other volunteers ) soon began helping to breed the surviving dragons in order to increase their numbers over time in the hopes that one day, they’d no longer be anywhere near nearing extinction. and, of course, they made sure that the dragons had homes away from anyone who’d dare hurt them, an action that zuko made a crime after his crowning as the new fire lord.
as for zuko’s dragon... him and druk were certainly best friends, not just companions. they could speak to one another without words, sometimes without actions. they never spend a day apart. ever. that is, until zuko’s death. after zuko passed in his sleep and druk - after making several attempts to wake his master - became aware, the creature suffered such heartbreak. he curled around zuko’s body and refused to move, not even to eat or drink, and ended up passing away on the same bed when he finally succumbed to starvation and thirst.