In this particular scene, I wanted to take the opportunity to depict small stories in the background that you may not have noticed.
While some background ponies are present simply as citizens of Canterlot, others have more to tell.
There’s nothing special to mention about panel 1, I just picked random rich mares. However, in panel 2, you can see Rarity and her parents visiting the capital, presumably to experience it during the Warming Eve festivities with all its decorations. Unfortunately, they arrived too late as they are being removed. Poor Rarity, she has a fondness for shiny things. What a pity!
In panel 3, you can observe Filthy Rich holding Spoiled Rich’s hoof on the bridge. It’s likely an early date, possibly even a proposal.
On the street, there’s a poor little filly who is starving. Fizzlepop Berrytwist is her name (an ironic one seeing her current situation). Unfortunately, Sweet Biscuit and her headcanon mother Cinnamon Chai didn’t notice her. However, somepony did — Zesty Gourmand is displeased to see destitute ponies like Fizzlepop in the streets of the esteemed city of Canterlot and hopes the guards can intervene. And they most likely will.
In essence, in this scene, you can infer that if Rarity hadn’t been so preoccupied with aesthetics and lamenting over it, she might have noticed Fizzlepop Berrytwist and offered her help.
Who knows what Fizzlepop could have become from there? Instead, she’ll be kicked out of the city, as the disgusting lesser being she seemed to be, with nothing left but hatred filling her heart. She’d have prefer to fill her stomach, honestly.
Yeah, it took a long time for Equestria to experiment the Magic of Friendship.
However, let’s not blame Rarity for this. She was quite young at that time and had much yet to learn to embody the true essence of the Element of Generosity.