Something you can do it make a fake model for sequencing. For example. if you had a string of 10 pixels, make a custom model with 2 rows and 5 columns, and lay out like this...
1 3 5 7 9
2 4 6 8 10
If you only apply effects going to the right or left, the pairs of pixels will always light up together. Ask Gil said, you'll be limited on which effects you can use on that. Of course with a 10 pixel string, you are limited anyway.