What's an artificial intelligence to do when it reaches the extent of it's capabilities and can no longer improve? In most cases, either fulfill some end state goal and shut down, or, if it's smart enough, ask for clarification from its creators.

For a certain pony-based AI, neither of those is an acceptable solution.

It'll take an unexpected meeting with a being with whom it shares surprising parallels to kick-start it back into action, and nothing will ever be the same after.

Entry for the Friendship is Optimal contest.

Technically canon compliant, unless I've missed something, and while a bit of background is provided, being familiar with the original story will certainly help comprehension.

Published for the Friendship is Optimal Contest.
Reading Friendship is Optimal is not required.

Accepted Axiom was nopony special. He was just a scientist, working hard to prove or disprove other pony's theories and experiments. Then he discovered something that would forever change the world: he proved Starswirl's Fifth Law of Magic.

Every action and phenomena adheres to a pattern, known or unknown.

For centuries, ponies across Equestria dedicated no small portion of their lives trying to understand or disprove the theory. Accepted Axiom became the first to truly understand the extent of the Law.

What dreams we had when the Apertūra appeared on that lonely spring night so long ago. It seemed as though the world would be filled with wonders! But not all things brought through that fabled gate were favorable to man...

For many years there has been a mysterious creature living in the woods. Many rumors have spread about this creature. Some say its capable of killing anything it puts its mind on, even predators many times its size. A very strange creature that nopony had ever encountered face to face. That was, until now.

The story will tagged complete, since I don't have anything more to write. If I do get an idea for another chapter it will be published here.

Image not mine but from Aeflus, check him out he has really impresive art! No really, go check him out.

Brought to you with the help of these fine persons: Mountain Bell, FreedomFiend, Glocky and Scrambled Crackers who have helped me out with this story. Really, these guy's are awesome!

Teleportation. It is the best possible way to travel... As long as you don't think about it too much. As long as you don't ask where Twilight goes in that split second when she's neither here nor there.

The sound I listened to as I wrote it, available to you in order to give you the option of having the same atmosphere.

No relation to the other story with the same name, just a coincidence of both picking the same excellent title. I was unaware that the other one existed.
Dramatic Reading by Charles Spratt | Second Reading by TheDizzyDan | Third Reading by Crafty Arts | Fourth Reading by Stormy787
Russian Translation 1 (by Aloz) | Russian Translation 2 (by Doof Ex Machina)

Celestia has a dangerous creature held in the deepest of Canterlot's high-security dungeons. It can create ponies (with full backgrounds and histories) with it's strange and often-times prophetic powers. The Princess does her best to keep it under wraps, but its only a matter of time before it's "creativity" will get out of control.

Rainbow Dash's morning was pretty much ruined.
She tripped getting out of bed and landed flat on her face, giving herself an aching muzzle.
She forgot to buy her favorite brand of hay flakes at the store yesterday and had to eat plain toast for breakfast.
She found out she had to pull double-duty today and tomorrow on the weather patrol.
Oh, and she found a nearly-dead foal, broken and bleeding at the edge of Ponyville.

The rest of her day became a whirlpool of stress and worry but the colt woke up, thank Celestia.
Something's not right, though. Nopony can find his parents, he's not in the registers, and there's an unsettling look in his eye...

-
YouTube reading by Fire Hearth

Chinese Translation by forgivenlove

Russian Translation by Likantrop

TV Tropes page, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

Twilight accompanies her friends on an outing. During the outing, she hears a voice that she shouldn't have heard.

And the voice hears her when it shouldn't have, either.

Written for the Rage Reviews: F*** this Prompt #16 (characters breaking the fourth wall)

Lyra Heartstrings has noticed an eerie strangeness in Equestria. Contemplating whether it's her or the world, she challenges the fabric of reality as she knows it.

Edited by the dobermans

Apple Bloom gets even from an encounter with a bully.