Going by the Hearth’s Warming episodes, more like five years. The first four seasons seem to take place in the space of from twelve to fifteen moons, and the episodes of the first three seasons clearly come in anachronic order. For example:
“Swarm of the Century” has to come later than “Lesson Zero”, as otherwise they would have figured the barn had to come down anyway; no need to bring Dashie in. “Too Many Pinkie Pies” has to immediately follow one of those two episodes, as the new barn had to come up as soon as possible.
“Call of the Cutie”, “Lesson Zero”, and “The Cutie Pox” (in that order) have to be very early in the school year, with an out-of-town episode† taking place during Zecora’s July visit and “Bridle Gossip” occurring in August‡.
† Likely “Sonic Rainboom”, as by the time of “Lesson Zero” it was known that Dashie could do the Rainboom.
‡ “I thought I had removed their fear the last time that I visited here.” - Zecora, “The Cutie Pox”
An interesting theory, except Rarity got even two episodes latter, when RD had an “accident” during a training flight while Rarity just so happened to be spectating, and had to spend the entire episode in the hospital.
Sparkle’s 7 is just Rarity fucking with RD because she can.
@Scrounge
No, just that she knew he would be easy to get past, especially if Rainbow Dash was involved. The rest of the guards wouldn’t. The Mane 6 had a major advantage this way.
