1.1 Prologue



A/N: *sigh* I've been a fan of the SH stories for quite some time, but this is the first time

I've gathered enough courage to write a fanfic. I'm afraid it will start out rather cliché,

but believe me, there will be a very interesting twist to this. This will definitely be one of

my darker fics by the time I'm finished, that's for sure.



Disclaimer: Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John Watson, Inspector Lestraude, and other various

characters are not creations of mine. However, I claim ownership to Emeruade, Naoko,

Hunter, Pyro, and Etna.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~



It was one of those rare nights in London, when all of the clouds and filth from the

numerous chimneystacks were cleared by the wind from the sky, leaving the stars and

moon to glare down upon the city. Along with this rare clarity, however, came a harsh,

cutting, cold. Cold that made you shiver by just standing by the windowsill. Which is

why I, and my old war wound, were quite happy to curl up in my favorite chair, as close

to the fire as possible. Thus, I was quite startled by my friend's suggestion of a walk.



"What in blazes- Holmes! It must be five degrees below zero, man!"



"Yes?" the tall man asked, a brow arching. He stood by the door to our quarters, and

seemed rather ready to put on his cloak at that instant.



"Well, you may be one for going out in ungodly temperatures and catching cold, but I am

not! Why on earth would you want to leave the comfort of a warm hearth, anyways?"



"Ah, while that north wind may have brought the coldness that you so protest, my friend,

it also brought a clear night! A perfect opportunity to study the cosmos!" he replied.



Ah, so that was it. My friend was off once again, in his little scientific endeavors. His

odorous dabbling with his chemicals has not brought too many discoveries, and I could

sense that he was getting bored.



"I'll stay here, thank you, Holmes. For I'm quite settled and content where I am."



He nodded and quickly donned his Inverness cape and walked out. I sighed. 'Well, better

for him to risk getting a sneeze than turning to the cocaine bottle' I thought, glancing at

the drawer that hid the hideous solution Holmes all too often turned to in days of

boredom.





~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"COME ON, HUNTER, LET US IN!!!" hollered my friend.



"YEAH, IT'S BLOODY FIVE DEGREES BELOW ZERO OUT HERE" I screamed

along with her. I hated being cold, even a little bit. My current companion, Emeraude,

insists that it's a weakness to be conquered. Quite frankly, I'd rather leave that to the

less civilized creatures populating the earth.



If, that is, you could call my constant companions and myself civilized. The thin curtains

that covered the window by the door, opened to reveal two glowing, mischievous, brown

orbs, surrounded by a just as dark face. Especially this one.



"What's the password?" he hollered through the thin material that the walls were made

of.



"How 'bout Hunter is a loser?" retorted my friend. I remained silent, letting my middle

finger do the talking.



"Woo! Naoko's FIESTY tonight!" he called mockingly, having seen my response to his

antics. I bristled even more. Certainly, I wouldn't have done that when I first arrived in

London from Japan, but I was learning. I was NOT the naïve girl they had first took under their wing… okay, so maybe I was still rather naïve, but STILL.



"Hmm… perhaps it's, As-of-today-Monday-the-15-of-Janurary-the-year-two- thousand-

two-Hunter-has-been-kicked-out?"



"Fine, fine, Emeraude, I get yer point." With that, he unlocked the door and let us in.







A/N: OK, basic introductory chapter… hopefully, caught your attention.