"Dear Princess Celestia,

“For the past few months, I’ve been training for a competition that tested my limits, patience, and abilities as a mare. I had to give my all each day, some days giving more than I thought I had. I learned how much I took for granted before I sacrificed what I enjoyed in life: spending time with friends, eating more than a very strict diet, and working on my hobbies whenever I wished. Needless to say, it took a lot out of me. But, the physical aspect wasn’t the hardest part…

“I’ve never been a confident mare. I’ve always been terrified of big crowds and preforming in front of other’s, so this competition gave me a lot of anxiety. Before I walked out on stage, my heart was pounding in my chest, my hands were becoming cold and I couldn’t stop shaking. It was the anticipation that was frightening me the most. Once I heard my name being called, I could feel my heart stop for a solid second, everything froze and I had to remember to breathe. The crowd looked huge and everyone was watching me. I probably was shivering like a leaf when I walked to the middle of the stage. It was then I noticed where my friends and supporters were sitting; the front row. I took one look at them and knew all of them believed in me, and it was time I believe in myself. I took a deep breath, and within a couple minutes, before I even know it, it was over and I hear the roaring applause of the audience, but above all, I looked down and noticed how happy all my friends were, how proud they were in me, and I was even proud of myself.

“I didn’t expect to win. After that sharp moment of adrenaline and finally knowing I was completely done with everything, I was just happy I competed and faced one of my biggest fears. I was so surprised when I heard my name being called; it was surreal. I thought, due to my lack of experience with these things and how nervous I was at first, they would choose someone else. Rainbow Dash later told me that she saw a whole new side of me that she previously didn’t see: the confident side. I don’t quite remember how I was feeling, everything was moving so fast and I was really into the performance that… I suppose I was confident. But I digress. I wanted to let you know, Princess, that I’ve learned that I can face my fears and do things I previously never thought I could do, and with the support of my friends, I can see how important friendship is to something like this…

“Signed,
Fluttershy.”