@BigMax  
And sadly, we’ll never find out because all records of both the Pies and the Apples were lost(Fuck you, Tirek).

@Techy Pony  
I just picked the number that’s the answer to the ultimate question in the universe. 42.

Fourth cousin twice removed blah blah => not incest.
 
Ans we’re not even sure Pinkie is an Apple.

@Techy Pony  
true on all accounts
 
but the consequence is long term and may not even effect within one’s life time but it can happen, genetically predisposed diseases like cancer is effected by what mutation occurs like how some families are more at risk on a specific part of their body than the rest of the population.
 
yeah sure no one is like “incest is finally ok!” and suddenly do it, promoting genetic diversity and diluting harmful or useless genes is much more advantageous

@Hypastpist  
Incest can only bring forth recessive genes, it may bring them forth but it’s not their cause for being there. It doesn’t cause mutation but will increase the chance of certain genes becoming active. Even if two people have genetic lines that don’t intersect till 13 generations back (at which point there is a 75% chance they don’t share a single gene in common (from their common ancestor)) their child could still end up with an autosomal recessive gene. Even of the government were to allow incest, or rather allow legally recognized incest (marriage), it certainly doesn’t mean people are going to suddenly partake if they wouldn’t have otherwise. We are genetically predisposed to find close relatives sexually non-appealing for a reason. First cousins cause a pitiful increased risk, smoking and drinking increase the risk of birth defects about the same as direct sibling incest, which is a far greater increase than first cousins.

@Techy Pony  
short sightedness is what i say
 
the law is not well defined, it’s defined only as far as the general population understands it
 
besides we don’t want people to think that it’s a generally good idea. it’s harmless yes but long term consequences will eventually rise
 
sometimes i think incest is the reason for some if not most genetic diseases( like elephantiasis or something disfiguring despite the parents not being related)

@Hypastpist  
The only reason to be against incest is the increased risk of crappy biological genes popping up. Past maybe 2nd cousins the increased risk is stupidly small so it makes sense that no one should care at all if 2nd cousins mingle. Closer than that I don’t it should be illegal but perhaps just illegal to not take precautions against having children. (as in if you want children than adopt) Even then though it’s touchy because it’s not illegal for people with horrible transmissible and genetic diseases to procreate…but it is illegal for close family members, double standards I tell you.

@Hypastpist  
Unless they’re as closely related as possible (brother/sister, mother/father, son/daughter) then there’s not that much an increase in anything bad. If it was really THAT bad then how did species survive when the entire populations were but a few thousand? Basically, humans evolved from incest and inter-species mingling and it clearly turned out fine…biologically.
 
@Master Fox  
42 generations would be ~4 trillion ancestors, back that far is ~1050 years which is about the estimation for how far back one needs to go to be virtually guaranteed to be related to any currently living person. (if that was a guess on your part it was a perfect one)

@Master Fox  
of course
 
but far enough back any relation will be completely null

@Hypastpist  
But all humans in this world is some how in any way shape or form related to everyone else. I’m sure if you look back on any 2 people’s geneology far enough you can find a connection. Even if you have to connect the dots to some 42nd great grand parent that married someone else.

@Techy Pony  
yeah, maybe its to keeps the process less of a headache besides its better to go with someone clearly not related to you in any way, less of a risk

@Hypastpist  
That’s a good point, but for some reason the law cares about legal relations as far as incest goes instead of blood relation.

@Techy Pony  
they may not even be blood related but by marriage of their ancestors

@Master Fox  
Given they live in a tiny town with an equally small population, fairly close relations are probably quite common.

Dude, this isn’t incest. According to Most States in the US and many countries around the world, [Thanks Wikipedia], incest is really only with close relatives, like parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, neices, nephews and legal statuses like step children, in laws and step parents.
 
Oddly enough 19 states in the us, Plus District of Columbia, Allows cousins to marry, so… Yea, Cousins are ok in some places. Go figure.

@Techy Pony  
They were already treating her like a sister, but the discovered possible relation added a sense of officialness; I guess. (And it gives them an excuse to invite her to the next Apple family reunion.)

We still don’t know if they are related.

@Background Pony #2E6B  
Well, think it as your best friend finding out he/she was related to you, honestly, I wouldn’t give two shits if they we’re related to me by 14 generation, I’ll be like “Hell yeah, motherfucker! Now you have to buy me a present every christmas!”  
Well, not really, but you get the idea.

@OneOverTwo  
She was already closer to pinkie then probably 90% of her relatives so I don’t see how it would change anything.

@Background Pony #2E6B  
Well she was already relatively close to Pinkie so…

@Techy Pony  
I know! With the way they carried on, it was like they found out that Pinkie was their long lost sister. It’s not even a direct cousin. Applejack may place an emphasis on family value, but fourth cousins?

 
…They will!