Notes:This story was originally written because I was bored. It wasn't meant for anyone else and I didn't care too much about how it was done, so after I went over this chapter, I noticed there were some flaws in the flow of it. I was going to rewrite it before it was posted but I figured that since I'm just getting the idea going and the main story hasn't come in yet, it didn't matter much. I realize that you don't really have a good look at how life is for the characters but I promise that'll come in the first few chapters. So. Anyway.

Obviously, this isn't Neopia. It'll probably still contain some Neopia-like things, such as petpets, neopian stores, ect. The pets are all in humanistic form because it's easier for me to write that way.

Kijo, Sev, Kam, and Rio aren't my neopets. They belong to my friends Mary and Connie. I have permission to use them.

Disclaimer-thingy:Neopets.com doesn't belong to me. Yet. Shinzo, Sushi, Bukiyo, Matt, and all of their family are my orginal characters. You can't have them. Well,maybe for some ramen...no. No, they're all mine.

Ahem. To the story, now.

Saving Sushi

Chapter One:Visions

Shinzo Kuyka was on a mission.

Granted, it wasn't a dangerous mission, nor the type of thing that he usually took an interest in. There were no guns, flames, or car chases involved and unless he had an allergic reaction he wasn't aware of, the plan should go off without a hitch. He searched the dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of suspects before finally spotting his target. The search was over, the mission nearly completed.

After looking through multiple plastic cells with neatly-written labels across them, each housing small, colorful objects within, Shinzo had located the rum-flavoured jelly beans.

He was getting too old for this kind of work.

"Did you pick something out?" a familiar voice behind him demanded. Sushi Kuyka stood with a slightly amused look on her face, lips twisted in a teasing smirk. She held a pack of peach gummy rings in one hand and strawberry twists in the other. "Matt already bought his gum and chocolate. He went to unlock the car."

Shinzo held up his rum jellybeans with an air of satisfaction. "Got 'em, fish girl." She raised an eyebrow and he smiled, crimson eyes glinting mischievously.

Sushi laughed, a soft, ringing sound. "Rum? What are they trying to sell kids these days?"

"Only the best!" Shinzo answered, helping himself to another bag. "And remember, you're---"

"Paying. I know." Sushi shook her head playfully, making the tangerine blonde waves bounce on her shoulders. "The sacrifices I make for a day with the family..." She snatched the bags out of his hands. "Anyway, 'Zo, get out of my sight. I'll be there in a minute."

Shinzo chuckled to himself as the seventeen-year-old marched up to the cash register. Sushi had begged him to come to Candy, Candy, Candy, an enormous new store filled from top to bottom with the delicious stuff. Shinzo was not a fan of sweets, some sour candies and, of course, the rum jellybeans being the only ones of his liking. He did like their little outings, though. He always put on a great show of protesting and Sushi always did the same with begging. She was getting good. One day, he might even have to go somewhere without her paying for it.

As Shinzo exited the store, he was hit with a wave of intense fear. An image of Sushi, sweet Sushi covered in blood, flitted though his mind. He wavered and leaned back against the outside walls of the store, shaking his head to clear the ghastly picture. He ran his hand through his spiked, charcoal colored mane of crimson-tipped hair and held back a startled cry. Why would he have thought that?

The deceptively naive girl he had come to call his sister had had a horrific past, one filled with violence and bloodshed. When he had first came upon her over a year ago, weak, nearly starved, and wandering around without any real goal, she had told him her story. He had somehow induced memory loss in Sushi, actually the second time she had lost her memory, and had taken her to a nice-looking home in the nearby town. He was hoping they could just give her some help and then take her someplace she'd be safe, but in that house, with a boarder named Amaya and a young owner named Yoki, they had both found a home. He had also been wandering after losing his family and best friend.

Koki came into the picture later, a loving mute with strange telepathic abilities. She had been caught up in a gang fight where her voice box was smashed and her brother was the same person who'd killed Shinzo's wife. Nevertheless, Koki was the one who listened to and accepted him, and he had always adored her. Sushi, with her unabashed happiness in the face of his misery, came to annoy him. They adopted cousins and Sushi's half-brother Matt, abandoned by his dad, had appeared. Sushi's old enemy came after her and she'd been forced to kill him with Shinzo, Koki, and Matt by her side. However,Sushi was hurt badly, Shinzo was wounded, Matt was put in a near-coma position, and his Koki-angel...she was killed.

Sushi had been his only comfort then, and he had loved her in his own way even before that. She had made him a promise that no matter what, as long as she lived, she'd stay by his side. He had gladly returned the promise. After all he'd done to hurt her, he was greatful she could even be around him at all. But then that was Sushi; incredibly strange, strong and fragile at the same time, with an unchanging love and a smile that was there even through tears. Almost everyone she met was changed in some way, and he was one of the many who had a desire to protect her.

But this was just stupid. Sushi was perfectly safe, the only danger being that the guy at the register would charge too much for the candy or maybe flirt with her.

With an uneasy smile, Shinzo headed towards the car on the far end of the lot, pausing when he heard someone call his name. He turned to see Sushi running towards him, a bright smile on her face, the hand not holding bags of candy waving wildly. And then...

Sushi sailing through the air as the car plowed into her head on, her mouth opened in a silent scream, he lavendar eyes widened in shock as she hit the ground, skidded, came to a stop with her legs and arms twisted grotesquely, blood already starting to grow into a pool around her---

"Shinzo? Shinzo!"

The male looked down to see Sushi staring worriedly at him. Sushi, not bloody, not on the ground. Sushi, not flying through the air, not with her eyes forever frozen in a surprised position. Sushi, alive and whole and so perfectly her.

He wrapped the girl in a hug, feeling tears sting his eyes. Why? Why was he thinking things like that? The images had been so real, so clear. His chest tightened and he drew Sushi into an even stronger embrace. He needed her, the whole family needed her. She was the invincible light that drove away the darkness every Kuyka carried in their soul. She was as bright as the sun, and even if she might be a self-destructing sun that would eventually implode,she was brilliant and fabulous and Gods, he loved her!

Almost as soon as Sushi reached up and tentively put her arms around him, Shinzo pulled away. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Sushi broke the silence.

"Is everything alright, Shinzo?"

He nodded mutely.

"Then why...?"

"I've been having these sibling urges lately...to spend time with you guys and all that." Shinzo turned his eyes towards the heavens in a why-me look. "It's actually a waste of time, if you ask me. Damn annoying."

Sushi looked him over suspiciously, then broke out into a grin. "Aww, how cute!"

"I wonder if there's some kind of medicane I could take for it-"

"That's so sweet,Zo.You know-"

"-because it's starting to piss me off-"

"-I was a little worried, but-"

"-and I really don't want to turn into one of those sentimental dolts.People just hold you down, anyway."

"-now I know you really love us."

"I do not!" Shinzo cried disgustedly. "I...I haven't been getting enough sleep lately or something."

Sushi smiled knowingly, threading her arm through Shinzo's. "Whatever you say, sentimental dolt."

Though he snorted convincingly and followed her out to the car, Shinzo's mind was filled with worries. He had never had visions like that before. Memories, maybe, and dreams where he happily tortured his wife's killer, but nothing as real as that. He couldn't pass it off as imagination or too much of Yoki's cooking.

If he didn't find a way to stop it, something bad would happen soon.

And it would happen to his sister.