Clue: Steamed with fire (9)
Answer: BRIMSTONE
Explanation: Definition: S
A fairly outrageous "left and separate" – S = Sulphur = Brimstone, and brimstone is "teamed with fire" in the expression "fire and brimstone". The Brimstone is also a butterfly (it also appeared in the Nutmeg puzzle),so I wonder why there isn't a reference to 25. Does the style of this clue combined with 1a and 5a give us a hint who the "friend" might be?