Their father was a man named Yakone. Forty years ago, he was Republic City's most notorious criminal until Avatar Aang and Chief Bei Fong brought him to trial. [She's... saying this all in a distant tone, apart from the younger versions of them she's met here] There were dozens of witnesses who saw him bloodbending in broad daylight, and often on many people at once - naturally, to most people it was unbelievable, but the then Chairman of the council, Sokka, convinced the rest of them that things thought impossible with bending have been proved wrong all the time. [...And then he escaped and then Aang tracked him down and took his bending. But. Let's just get this out of the way first]