Yakko was doing his best to look mature and collected, but he had a sneaking suspicion that Jayna was outdoing him. The woman sat straight and still, her hands resting formally on her lap. Her face was set in the same calm, fixed expression.
This lady is kind of weird… does she ever smile?
He had the feeling she wouldn't appreciate him asking that outright, so he kept it to himself. Normally he would just say it anyway, if only to see the person's reaction, but he had a feeling it wouldn't really rattle her anyway.
"So, our parents found you?" he asked out loud. The woman nodded.
"Yes."
Before he could say anything else, Wakko's hesitant voice spoke up.
"When… when did they…"
"They began looking for someone almost right away after you were born," Jayna replied. "It took almost a year before they found me. I had only just mastered my Gift."
Dot spoke up then, a slight frown on her face.
"Didn't they want someone more… experienced?"
Surprisingly, Jayna didn't look at all offended.
"That was their hope, yes, but my instructor…"
There was a flicker of emotion in her eyes, though her serious expression never changed.
"He'd… passed on."
Though he barely knew Jayna, Yakko felt a twinge of sympathy. He heard the same thing in his sister's voice.
"Oh… sorry."
The woman nodded.
"So am I," she said softly. Her piercing gaze moved to Wakko. "When you heard the voice, it was the spirits calling you from the amulet, to wake your power. That was when your parents wanted to tell you, and when I was supposed to come."
Yakko glanced at his brother and saw a look of slight relief on his face. He felt the same way; their parents didn't want to keep it from them. They would have told them, if things had turned out differently. Jayna's eyes then scanned over all three siblings, seeming to soften a little.
"I should have said before, I'm sorry for your loss. They were good people."
The eldest Warner's throat tightened, but before he could reply Wakko spoke in a soft voice.
"We know."
"But I gave them my word I would teach you," Jayna continued. "And they may be gone, but here I am. I'm a woman of my word."
Yakko looked at the woman, but Wakko's hesitant voice spoke up before he could.
"So, will I… really be able to learn about it?"
As usual, Jayna's expression didn't change as she nodded.
"Yes. And I can promise you, once you master bending, you'll be as strong as any of them."
Yakko glanced at his brother; did he still feel like he had to prove something? Even more troubling, could Jayna tell just by looking at him? Then he looked back at the woman, frowning.
"Bending?"
Jayna nodded again.
"That's what controlling the elements is called. But you have to be careful while you're learning… it takes careful practice. So, are you willing to learn?"
Wakko barely hesitated before nodding. Jayna's gaze moved to Yakko, then Dot.
"And I have your permission?"
The siblings exchanged a confused look.
"Why're you asking us?" Yakko asked. Jaya raised her brows.
"You make decisions equally, don't you?"
The siblings looked at each other again, and along with the confusion was a hint of unease; how much did this woman know about them, anyway?
"Well?" Jayna asked. "Do I have your permission?"
Yakko and Dot exchanged looks again and came to a silent agreement. If this was what their brother wanted, they wouldn't stop it. There was just one thing Yakko couldn't stop himself from asking.
"Yeah, but… can you just be careful?"
"Yakko!" Wakko groaned. The eldest Warner shot him an apologetic look; he was probably embarrassing him, but he couldn't help it.
Without hesitation, Jayna nodded a third time.
"You have my word."