Fanfic / The All Spark Changed My Life

"If you knew the ending sucked, wouldn't you do everything in your power to change it?"

The AllSpark Changed My Life is a Transformers fanfiction written by Rowena Bensel. It tells the story of Alison, formerly from our 2014, who wakes up in 2007 in the place of Sam Witwicky the day he was to buy Bumblebee. While initially following the route of the movie, when faced with the choice of killing Optimus or Megatron with the AllSpark, she decides to Take a Third Option, bonding herself to the AllSpark. This leads to several changes that completely alter the Tyran universe as we know it.

Originally written in 2014 with 13 chapters, it underwent an initial rewrite later that year, then after chapter 28 was posted in 2018, the fic went on a year long hiatus for another rewrite. The rewritten version started posting in May of 2019 and has maintained a consistent update schedule since. The first two drafts are available to read here.

A Bonus Material companion fic, AllSpark: Lorebook (Timelines, Headcanons and More) was released in May 2020 and contains the official timeline for the AllSpark universe, as well as character sheets and trivia pages. There is also AllSpark: The Musical, a collection of filks based on the story.

A side series of Alternate Universe fics, called AllSpark AUs, is a continuous work in progress started in October 2020. The common connector of most of the fics is that Alison is the main character, with Mikaela (and sometimes Bumblebee) as her love interest, and Asami/Ebonspark appears at some point. Fics in this series include

• Mikaela's Body: A Jennifer's Body AU where Mikaela becomes possessed after a failed human sacrifice, and her, Alison and Bumblebee's search for a solution reveals a dark secret about their town. (Posted Oct 2020 as a Halloween special)

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The AllSpark series contains examples of:

The AllSpark Changed My Life

• Action Girl: Several, with Coppertone being one right off the bat, then Asami, Elita, Chromia and Arcee come in later. Alison, and to a lesser extent Mikaela build up to being these. Also the Tessa Tribe in the backstory is mostly made up of these, most notably their chief Beta.
• Adaptation Deviation: Starting right from Alison's arrival, she changes things big and small.
  • She gives a concise and well thought out report on Grandpa Archibald, meaning she got an "A" without having to beg for it.
  • She goes for a friendship with Mikaela first instead of immediately trying to get a date.
  • Thanks to Alison's and Coppertone's presences, Jazz and Megatron survive Mission City, and the AllSpark is not destroyed.
  • With Alison and the AllSpark active in the negotiations after Mission City, the Cyber-Organic Treaty Association is founded instead of NEST.
• Adaptational Badass: Elita, Chromia and Arcee, especially the latter, who gets two fight scenes that negate her canon status as a Faux Action Girl.
  • Jetfire, here healed to practically new by the AllSpark, is able to take on both Rampage and Scorponok and win, only being taken down by the Fallen, and still managing to hold him off long enough for Alison to revive Optimus.
• Adaptational Early Appearance: Several The Last Knight characters, most prominently Cogman, appear, nine years before they would have in canon.
• Air-Vent Passageway: Bandit and Riser take Alison through one while escaping the Nemesis.
• Aliens Among Us: Bumblebee was one for about a year prior to meeting Alison, then Starscream's team if Deceptions for about four months before Mission City.
  • Before Bumblebee, there were two NBEs recorded by S7 but never caught: NBE 2, the canonical Jetfire, and NBE 3, later revealed to be a Decepticon named Ebonspark, and the secret identity of Asami Stark.
• Alternate Universe: Alison came from one (based on our 2014). Aside from that, it's implied this universe was already an alternate of Bayverse in that Ron and Judy Witwicky have always had a daughter called Alison, while Sam Witwicky is the second son of Sparkplug and Josephine Witwicky. (In the First Draft, Alison explicitly mentions the theory that creatives (writers, toymakers, etc) tap into other universes to get their ideas, as well as the Multiple Universe theory.)
  • Confirmed in the Lorebook, with the official AllSpark timeline being vastly different from the Hasbro canon.
• An Arm and a Leg: During Mission City, Coppertone's intervention saves Jazz from being torn in half, but Megatron manages to rip off a leg. Alison reattaches it after bonding with the AllSpark.
  • In the aftermath of the Battle of Giza, Chromia and Ironhide are mentioned to have lost an arm and leg respectively in the fighting.
• Ancient Astronauts: The Fallen and his forces came to Earth to harvest its sun and the other Primes of the Seven stopped him.
• Ancient Tomb: The Tomb of the Primes, hidden inside El Dier in Petra like in canon.
• Anger Born of Worry: Alison finds herself on the receiving end of this multiple times, mostly from Optimus, Will, or Mikaela after she does something heroic but dangerous.
• Back from the Dead: Frenzy, brought back by Alison. Later, Optimus is brought back by the Matrix
• Badass Crew: The Autobots, whether it's the First Landing team, the femme team or any group of them working together, they're here to drink energon and kick 'Con ass, and they're all out of energon.
• Badass Family: Elita, Chromia and Arcee are sisters, with the former two bonded with Optimus and Ironhide respectively, Prowl and Barricade are half brothers, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker and Skids and Mudflap are twins. All of them kick major aft.
• Badass Normal: The COTA soldiers and Mikaela and Miles.
• Band of Brothers: The Autobots
• Beauty Is Never Tarnished: While Alison is scarred by bonding with the AllSpark, it amounts to patches of white skin that doesn't detract from her natural looks much.
  • Allison comments on Asami having this trait, specifically saying Asami looks like a sports model after a run that has Alison panting and sweating.
• Befriending the Enemy: Alison does this with Barricade, due to a fanfiction bias from pre-Jump making her believe it was possible. Optimus calls her out on how reckless and dangerous that was.
• Berserk Button: A minor one that's only mentioned, but calling Alison "Ali" is one for her. Miles tells how she threw an eraser at a teacher who kept calling her that. The only one allowed to get away with it is Barricade in his nickname for her, "AliSpark".
• The Bet: Epps mentions losing ten bucks to Will over Alison and Mikaela's relationship status. Later, he thanks them for getting him his ten bucks back after Alison, Mikaela and Bee announce they're a triad.
• Beta Outfit: The Spark armors go through four iterations over the course of the story.
  • Spark I is just a white catsuit with ceramic plating on the top of the arms and front of the legs, and sensors on the inside to monitor Alison's vitals during testing.
  • Spark II is adds ceramic plates to the chest, upper back and on both sides of the arms and legs, as well as a pair of armored gloves (which are later upgraded with a detachable palm). It is also stated to be a new, tougher material than it's predicessor.
  • Spark III has the ceramic plating replaced with cybertronian materials from Dead End's body.
  • Spark IV turns the armor into practically an Iron Man, created by The AllSpark from Jetfire's parts after getting a power boost from the Matrix. Upgrades include a helmet, the plating folding back as needed, and wings to let Alison fly.
• The Big Damn Kiss: Alison kisses Mikaela just before taking off with the AllSpark in Mission City. Later, they have another after Mikaela decides she wants to be Alison's girlfriend. Mikaela again later gives one to Bumblebee to show she wants to try a triad relationship with him and Alison.
• Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: A minor example, but the Base Moms Sarah Lennox (blonde), Monique Epps (brunette) and Lizzie Burke (redhead) fit.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: What Alison believes is the case with Megatron, comparing the Fallen's influence on him to Reaper indoctrination, and wanting to prevent the head injury he obtained in the movies in the hopes he can snap out of it after the Fallen is defeated.
• Broken Pedestal: Asami, after Alison learns she is Ebonspark.
• Canon Immigrant: Prowl and Sunstreaker, both of whom were absent in the movies. Played with with Wheeljack, as he appeared in DOTM as Que, but AllSpark!Wheeljack follows much closer to his G1 interpretation (and looks like his Bumblebee (2018) appearance).
• Character Narrator: The whole story is from Alison's point of view.
• Chekhov's Boomerang: The 'Con known as NBE 3. First introduced as another Witwicky-Cybertronian connection through Sparkplug's story, then revealed to be connected to Asami, Alison's personal trainer. Then it turns out Asami and NBE 3 are one and the same, a Decepticon named Ebonspark who rejoins the crew of the Nemesis after revealing herself.
  • Also, Ironhide's plasma grenades. Given as a gift for Alison's birthday, they first go off when Alison and Asami use one to kill a Decepticon during the Battle of Beale. Alison then later uses a whole bandolier of them to damage the Star Harvester and injure Devastator.
• Chest Insignia: Alison gets a metallic brand of the Primal Vernacular glyph for the AllSpark on her chest right over her heart after she dies and comes back to restore the Matrix.
• A Child Shall Lead Them: Alison as Bearer of the AllSpark, Autobot Liaison and Director of COTA, all before/at the age of 17.
• Combat Medic: Ratchet, Arcee and to a lesser extent, Wheeljack and Alison.
• Cool Car: All the Autobots' alt modes, several being high end models or prototypes. Also Asami's Dodge Charger, her alt mode as Ebonspark.
• Cool Teacher: Optimus to Alison.
• Death by Adaptation: Wheelie, who in canon managed to survive to cameo in The Last Knight, here is executed by Cogman after attempting to attack Alison.
• Death by Origin Story: Leland Stark, Asami's father, was killed two years before the story in a hit-and-run accident.
  • Petrus Prime, Optimus and Megatron's father, was Lord High Protector to Sentinel and died in a terrorist bombing, which led to Optimus and Megatron stepping up to lead Cybertron.
• A Death in the Limelight: Jetfire, who thanks to being revived by the full AllSpark manages to take down both Scorponok and Rampage with ease before jumping the Fallen in order to give Alison the time to revive Optimus.
• Defiant Stone Throw: When the Fallen makes his first appearance in the Battle of Giza, Alison screams "Fuck you!" and throws one of her plasma grenades at him.
• Dies Differently in Adaptation: Jetfire who died of their injuries like in canon, but said injuries came from fighting the Fallen to give Alison time to revive Optimus as opposed to a one-hit KO from Scorponok.
• Enemy Mine: A minor example, Ebonspark saves Alison and Mikaela during the Battle of Giza, and later convinces Megatron to quit the field, as asked by Alison. She doesn't consider herself Alison's enemy though, like Alison has plenty of mixed feelings about her.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: The Fallen cares about his mother, the AllSpark, but even more so, he loves his daughter Quintus, who has been missing for millennia.
  • Similarly, Megatron visits and takes care of the Nemesis hatchlings, and he seems to have a good relationship with Soundwave, until he reportedly beats him for not knowing N-Sync was a traitor.
• Face Death with Dignity: Jetfire and The Fallen in Ch 52. The former thanks Alison for the chance to make up his past, while the latter accepts his fate, even if he doesn't really want it. Both are taken in by the AllSpark.
• Fire-Forged Friendship: Alison, Mikaela and Bee gain one after Mission City (which then turns into a Fire-Forged Romance later on). Also, the Bots and humans of COTA become this after the warehouse fight in Arizona.
• Good Thing You Can Heal: Played with. Alison does have an advanced Healing Factor compared to normal humans, but it's not to an obvious extent, and after her kidnapping, it reduces by 30%, which leaves her with nerve and tendon damage in her left hand after Scalpel's attack.
• Great Offscreen War: Early in Cybertron's history, there was the Quintesson War with the Primes leading the fight to force the Quintessons off their planet. A few millennia after that, the War of the Primes was fought as Liege Maximo turned the other Primes against each other, which ended in the only living Primes being Sentinel and Henricus, Optimus's grandfather. Lastly there was the Autobot-Decepticon War on Cybertron. All of these are only seen as glimpses from the AllSpark or talked about in lessons and stories from the Bots to Alison.
• Heroic BSoD: Alison has two when she's captured by the Decepticons. The AllSpark snaps her out of the first, the second by Bandit when she reveals they're escaping that moment, but it leaves a mark behind.
• In Spite of a Nail: Despite all the changes Alison brought about, Optimus still was killed by Megatron, Alison still has to retrieve the Matrix, and there is still a Battle at the Great Pyramid of Giza.
• Instant Expert: As part of her AllSpark abilities, Alison can read entire books in under a minute and retain the information perfectly. This allows her to become fluent in languages almost instantly (via reading "Language-to-English" dictionaries).
• Internal Reveal: Alison reveals the fact that she is from an alternate universe three times. First to Mikaela and Bee in ch 8, then to Simmons, Asami, Barricade, Miles and Arcee in ch 27, and lastly Optimus and Elita in ch 47.
• Interspecies Romance: Alison, Mikaela and Bumblebee start one, as do Barricade and Miles. Subverted with Leland Stark and Ebonspark as Kasumi, as he never knew her true identity and she was mainly using him as a cover for her infiltration.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Barricade, despite trying to come off as brooding and standoffish, has a soft spot for the Base Brats, Alison, and especially Miles.
• Living MacGuffin: Alison.
• The Load: Heavily averted with Alison, who takes action multiple times and trains to be the best Bearer and Director she can be.
• Meaningful Name: In a way. The original Bearer of the AllSpark was Adelheid Prime. Alison is a third-generation variant of Adelheid. Also, the meaning of the name is "Noble kind", which one can definitely say Alison is.
  • The Hatchlings also have them; Rascal acts like a rascal who would be dragging his twin Escapade on escapades, X-Cat acts a lot like a cat, and Dispensor dispenses Mountain Dew cans.
  • This is common among Cybertronians, with hatchlings sometimes not being named until they develop a distinct personality, and sparklings are often named based on impressions received by the parents during the creation cycle.
    "I was named cause I was apparently always bright and cheerful, but gold and yellow were 'too much'." - Coppertone
• Mildly Military: Mostly averted with COTA except in regards to Alison, Bots play this pretty straight.
• New Powers as the Plot Demands: During the Battle of Giza, Alison gains an upgrade to the Spark III armor, including wings, and gravity manipulation powers that allow her to fly .
• Ninja Zombie Pirate Robot: Alison is a human who became the vessel of the AllSpark and in doing so a technorganic, and has the mind of a person from our world where Transformers is not real.
• Oblivious to Love: Alison, a little bit. She has no idea of Bee's feelings for her, or even her own for him, for several months.
• Official Couple: Several, including, but not limited to: Alison/Mikaela (later Alison/Mikaela/Bumblebee), Optimus/Elita, Ironhide/Chromia, Prowl/Jazz, Ratchet/Wheeljack, Will & Sarah Lennox, Bobby & Monique Epps...
• Offstage Villainy: Due to the limited POV and the fact Alison spends most of her screentime on base, most of the 'Cons actions happen off screen.
• Oh, Crap!: When Alison realizes she's in the movie universe.
  • Later, she and the Inner Circle when she reveals to Optimus and Elita she ordered Simmons to set up S7 file catches.
• One-Steve Limit: Averted, Bumblebee's cover name for his holoavatar is Ben Honey, which is the same name as one of Alison's uncles (Ben Witwicky) and his grandson (who was named after him).
• Online Alias: Alison's ebay name "ladylover217". Also what the 'Bots use to generate COTA funds through online gambling.
• Ordinary High-School Student: What Alison was in her old world and what she wants everyone to believe she was before becoming Bearer of the AllSpark. Played straight with Mikaela and Miles.
• Original Character: Alison is one, originally a Self-Insert who has grown into her own character over the course of writing. Joining her are Coppertone, an Autobot frontliner femme; Asami Stark, former-S7 and her personal trainer; Ella Halton, COTA's Public Relations and Financial Director; and most of the Witwicky clan.
• Outside-Context Problem: No one could have expected the severed head Nitro Zeus carried as a trophy was actually Cogman, pretending to be a lifeless head. Not even Alison saw it coming, since The Last Knight was released after she got dropped into AllSpark's universe.
• Parental Title Characterization: Asami will alternatively use "Father" and "Dad" in stories about her past. "Father" turns out to be her title for Steelguard, who was a distant father and a Malcontent Ebonspark herself arrested, while "Dad" refers to Leland Bishop, who "raised" her with love and affection and who she grew to care for.
• Polyamory: Alison, Mikaela and Bumblebee start a triad relationship in Chapter 30, and is referenced a a fairly normal thing for cybertronians (with Bumblebee sharing a story about a love hexagon he once witnessed).
• Powered Armor: Alison gets the Spark I-IV armors, a special armor partially inspired by the Mass Effect and Iron Man armors developed by Wheeljack, Ratchet, and later Dr. Ishihara. The "Powered" part mostly come from her AllSpark abilities.
• Remembered Too Late: Alison recognizes the scenario she, Optimus and Cogman are being lured into right before Megatron shoots at them, and the Forest Battle commences.
• Robo Family: Elita, Chromia, and Arcee are sisters, with the former two being married to Optimus and Ironhide respectively. Optimus and Megatron are half brothers, as are Prowl, Barricade and Bluestreak, and then there's the Lambo Twins and Skids and Mudflap. Coppertone is also stated to have a bondmate and sparklings, though they've not been seen yet.
  • Chapters 38 and 39 introduce Coppertone's mate N-Sync (who is also Soundwave's sister) and their children Bandit and Riser.
• Running Gag: In ch 10, after learning about what "interfacing" is for the Autobots, Miles covers his eyes and yells "Mental image!". Every time interfacing is referenced near him after that, he says "Mental image!".
  • Starting in chapter 43, Cogman keeps pulling some implausible things from his subspace, ranging from snacks for Alison to a potted plant to several brooms.
• Scars Are Forever: Alison was burned by the AllSpark when she bonded to it, and the scars never fade away. Not that it detracts from her looks that much.
• Set Right What Once Went Wrong: Alison's motivation once she accepts that she's entered the Transformers universe. If she has her way, Dark of the Moon and Age of Extinction will never happen.
• Shout-Out: Several to Mass Effect, with the Spark armor being initially based on the armors in the game (after a comment Alison makes about liking to have one), and Alison specifically compares the Fallen's control of Megatron to Reaper indoctrination.
  • Dr. Gardner, Alison's psychologist, is a reference to Dr. Andrew Gardner from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..
• Spared by the Adaptation: Jazz survives the Battle of Mission City, being saved from Megatron's grasp by Coppertone.
  • Because of Alison becoming Bearer of the AllSpark, Megatron never died, and instead flees the Mission City battle with an energon cube she gifts him. In turn, this means the Nemesis hatchlings do not die.
• The Stations of the Canon: Chapters 1-5 are a retelling of Transformers with Alison instead of Sam, then things divert for a while due to Alison's actions, but eventually snap back to the Revenge of the Fallen plot with Optimus's death in Chapter 47
• Strange Salute: The Autobots have a few, most of which are cultural remnants from the pre-Unification era.
  • Upon hearing how Alison became the Bearer of the AllSpark, Elita crosses her arms across her chest and turns her servos to make a circle while bowing slightly (Tessa clan)
  • Prowl greets Alison with his left arm behind his back, the right crossed his chest to touch his left shoulder, and a bow (Praxis).
  • N-Sync and her children bow with hands flat on thighs, but head facing forward (Kaon)
  • Hot Rod places one foot back and bows with an arm across the waist, the other open at his side.
• Take a Third Option: Faced with killing either Optimus or Megatron with the AllSpark, Alison decides to instead plunge the AllSpark into her own chest in a last ditch effort to save everyone. To her relief, it worked.
• Trauma Button: A minor one, but the first time Alison tries to go into her office after Scalpel's attack, she starts having a panic attack. Luckily, Ella found her, calmed her down, and quickly got her office moved to a different room.
• True Companions: The Inner Circle - minus Asami/Ebonspark - becomes this as of the Revenge of the Fallen plotline.
• Under the Mistletoe: At COTA's Christmas party, two soldiers tie mistletoe to some RC helicopters and flew them around to catch couples. And enlisted a few others to take pictures. Alison and Mikaela get caught under one, as well as Optimus and Elita, Ironhide and Chromia, Jazz and Prowl, and Ratchet and Wheeljack.
• Victoria's Secret Compartment: In order to keep them from being taken off her person when they're arrested, Allison hides her grandfather's glasses down her cleavage.
• What Were You Thinking?: Alison gets this asked to her several times, starting from her merging with the AllSpark and repeated every time she puts herself into danger with no regard to her own safety.
• You Are Grounded!: Happens twice to Alison, Mikaela, Miles and Bumblebee (and Arcee the second time), both for something involving Barricade (first was hiding the fact he was around Tranquility, the second rushing off to his distress signal without backup.)

Mikaela's Body

• Adaptation Expansion: Explores the occult lore much more than its source material did, as the triad try to figure out how to exorcize, or at least control, Mikaela's demon without having to kill her.
• Ambiguous Ending / And the Adventure Continues: The triad walk out of prom after killing Low Shoulder and meet with Michael and Asami, who are waiting outside the school for them with a car.
  Asami: Need a ride?
• Asshole Victim: Generally, Mikaela and Michael's victims are this, being rapists, thugs and muggers. Low Shoulder in the ending.
• Benevolent Conspiracy: A smaller scaled one than usual, but the local officials of Devil's Kettle covered up the existance of a cult in their town twenty years ago. This is to protect both the town's reputation and Asami and Michael.
• Consuming Passion: Mikaela has to eat human flesh to sustain herself after being possessed, and lures victims using her sex appeal. Subverted with Michael, who has the same dietary requirement, but hunts his prey vigilante style.
• Contagious Powers: Being bit by a demon-possessed person will give you some of the demon's powers. Bee gets some of Mikaela's powers after she bit him right after returning from the dead, and Asami got some of Michael's after he almost ripped her throat out when he was possessed.
• Cursed with Awesome: Mikaela and Bumblebee (and later Alison) get super-strength, super speed, and healing, while Mikaela herself has hypnotism and levitation powers, but it's at the cost of Mikaela being possessed by a demon which feeds on human flesh. Michael has the first three, as well as minor shadow manipulation and psychologial profiling from his demon.
• Cutesy Name Town: Asami and Michael, ironically, live on the outskirts of Angel Falls.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: What the Triad unleash on Low Shoulder in the last chapter.
• Evil Tastes Good: Libidine, the demon in Mikaela, certainly thinks so. Mikaela herself... not so much.
• Gone Horribly Right: The cult who wanted to sacrifice Michael succeeded in getting him possessed... but they didn't expect to become his first victims.
• Great Big Library of Everything: Averted hard. Alison acknowledges the school library probably has no occult books thanks to Mr. Atlas, and when she checks the local library, most of the books are useless to her.
• Honey Trap: Mikaela, Alison and Asami set these up so Mikaela and Michael can feed on the men who follow or try to attack the girls.
• Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday: Averted, then played straight. Low Shoulder sacrifice Mikaela in October, but it's the tenth, not Halloween. Mikaela, Alison and Bee get their revenge when Low Shoulder performs at their prom.
• Horror Hunger: Mikaela and Michael must eat human flesh to survive. Michael has accepted his fate. Mikaela freaked out and tried to run away when she surfaced from her first killing.
• How We Got Here: The fic opens with Alison, Mikaela and Bee deciding to kill Low Shoulder when the band shows up at prom. It then jumps back six months to show why they want to do it.
• Imperfect Ritual: Low Shoulder attempted virgin sacrifice with not-a-virgin Mikaela, and thus she came back as a succubus. The cult Asami was raised in tried to sacrifice Michael as a new host for their demonic patron (and to prevent Asami from leaving), and the patron decided to kill them all.
• Karmic Death: Michael murdered the cult who tried sacrificing him the moment his demon gave him the power. The Triad ritually kill Low Shoulder to punish them for Mikaela's sacrifice and to exorcise Mikaela's demon.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: Bee's full name is Benjamin Hummel, but everyone just calls him "Bee".
• Our Demons Are Different: Never seen physically (except once), but can possess humans if certain rituals are completed (correctly or incorrectly), and have a hierarchy of some sort (as Libidine (Mikaela's succubus) cowers and cedes to Ira (Michael's wrath demon)).
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: When Low Shoulder perform at Devil's Kettle High's prom, the Triad decide to throw caution to the wind and get their revenge that night.
• Scary Librarian: Mr. Atlas, the homophobic high school librarian and theology teacher, is implied to be one from Alison's perspective. Averted with Orion Paxton, who sends the Triad to find Asami and Michael.
• Supporting Protagonist: Alison is the POV character, but the story is about Mikaela's struggle with her demon.

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