Which villain would cause this alternate reality?

[Trottermare Galamane 12,004]

It might be have been twilight herself!! Just listen a sec

 

In the episode where Twi went back in time because she seen herself she tried to stop time and without pinkie pie too distract her she might have found a way too actually stop time, and if she never found a way to start it again there wouldn't be a future to go too hence the vast emptiness?

[El Duderino 878]

 

 

Like a true, ultimate evil that wishes for mass genocide on every living thing?

 

Soooooo... Daleks? Will there be an episode where Daleks attack and the mane 6 fail to stop them, so it's up to Doctor Hooves to save the day? 

 

No. No there won't.

[Trottermare Galamane 12,004]

Another theory is that the tree of harmony some how got damaged or destroyed and without harmony the world and all life would surly fall?

Edited December 7, 2015 by Trottermare Galamane

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,152]

I'm going to say the Umbrum from the comics caused this.

 

COMIC SPOILER:

 

 

 

[Edgeworth1001 648]

The ultimate antagonist that goes far and beyond this show: Time.

 

What more can I say? Everything has it's expiration date.

[sweetolebob18 724]

Lesson Zero  Twilight & Fluttershy  captured Cerberus & returned him to Tartarus fairly quickly.  Only Tirek escaped.  Without them, many more villains would have gotten loose, some as bad or worse 

 

One interesting thought.  Each alternative was worse than the last.  What if Starlight hadn't been convinced & Twilight had to show her again.  What could be worse?

Edited December 7, 2015 by sweetolebob18

[chirox the pony 1,334]

I think Tirek was shown to have this kind of power so I imagine it was him.

[EmeraldSkies 93]

Hm... thought this was obvious that it was what would have happened if all the villains had won. Flim and Flam take over Sweet Apple Acres, cut down a lot of plant life. Nightmare Moon's night starts to destroy nature. Discord causes a bunch of chaos. Chrysalis drains the world of love. Sombra's crystal empire takes over and remaining ponies are forced to fight. Do I need to continue? It only takes Tirek to steal the rest of magic so everypony is basically useless (most are dead anyway).

 

But in the end, after all the ponies die, the villains all battle. Everything is reduced to waste.

[Singe 2,109]

Eldrazi are now canon in FIM.

[cider float 2,535]

The coming of the anti-brony

[Dolphanatic 298]

Ah yes, the mysterious barren wasteland. The big question going around is "Who or what caused it?" I initially thought the windigoes might have had something to do with it, seeing how barren and stormy everything had become - both telltale signs of the presence of windigoes. After all, Eqestria could easily have grown bitter and cold without friendship, possibly bringing back the windigoes in the process, since it's implied that the Mane Six never came together at all in this timeline, let alone activated the Elements of Harmony. The main problem with this theory is that as far as we know, the windigoes were completely eradicated long before the timeline was altered. Not to mention, there's no ice in sight, which is what windigoes in Equestria are best known for, as it's what causes the aforementioned wind and famine. That being said, the idea of the windigoes returning could make for an interesting story in the future (after all, there was a subtle hint at the possibilty of them still existing at the end of Hearth's Warming Eve, so it's not too unlikely that they could return, given the right conditions).

Then, I figured it might be the result of what could have happened if the parasprites devoured everything and later went extinct because they ran out of food, ending all life in Equestria. If that's the case, it just goes to show how one polka song can make a world of a difference!

However, upon further observation of the map of Equestria, something stood out to me. In every timeline (including the non-corrupted present), the cyclops skull in the Arimaspi mountains and the castle in the Dragon Kingdom across the Celestial Sea are fully intact and prevalent, even when everything else looks desolate and abandoned. Because of this, I think I might have figured it out. I believe the dragons are the ones who caused it. After all, without Fluttershy keeping them away, they could have easily invaded Equestria. Considering how close the Dragon Kingdom and Griffonstone are to each other, it's plausible that they followed the same route Arimaspi took from Equestria to Griffonstone. This would explain why the cyclops skull is still intact, since that's where the route would lead them, with the dragons hoarding everything in sight. It also provides the best explanation for why everything is is dark and barren: The dragons are covering Equestria with their smoke, hence the reason why ashes are being blown everywhere. In fact, we almost saw this happen back in Season 1 during the events of Dragonshy.

 

A lot of people are saying it might be caused by a new villain we have yet to see. The main problem with this theory is that if it was the result of a new villain, it most likely wouldn't have happened yet. After all, we are only seeing an alternate version of the present. Therefore, the only way for a villian yet to be revealed in the future to be responsible for it would be if something had caused said villian to take action earlier. I find this very unlikely and hard to believe.

[MLPFanatic34 3,234]

I think it was Starlight's alternate reality.

[Dolphanatic 298]

I think that is Starlight's alternate universe. She caused Equestria to turn into dust after destroying the only thing that keeps Equestria alive. Without the strong friendship of the mane six, Equestria would literally not exist. That's why Starlight Glimmer was so surprised. She realized that she made that alternate universe and literally ruined Equestria by tearing their friendship apart. That just shows us and Starlight how strong the friendship of the mane six is. It may sound cheesy, but their friendship really is magic.  

 

As well-written and convincing as that theory is, there's one issue I have with it: The alternate timeline in question was caused by Starlight Glimmer being sucked into the time portal along with Twilight Sparkle, meaning that it was most likely the lack of Starlight Glimmer's presence that caused it. However, if it's possible to be in multiple places at the same time in the MLP:FiM universe (which could be possible, seeing as it did happen to a lesser degree in It's About Time and Too Many Pinkie Pies), then the theory could work. Still, it seems too convenient and I find it hard to believe that all of Equestria could go to total waste in the time span of less than a season (although this is the same show that gave us Magical Mystery Cure, in which Ponyville turned into a total mess overnight).

Edited December 21, 2015 by Dolphanatic

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,024]

SELF PROMOTION WATCH HERE:

The above video is a take on what I believe caused the endings we saw.

[ASGARDIANBRONY 128]

As well-written and convincing as that theory is, there's one issue I have with it: The alternate timeline in question was caused by Starlight Glimmer being sucked into the time portal along with Twilight Sparkle, meaning that it was most likely the lack of Starlight Glimmer's presence that caused it. However, if it's possible to be in multiple places at the same time in the MLP:FiM universe (which could be possible, seeing as it did happen to a lesser degree in It's About Time and Too Many Pinkie Pies), then the theory could work. Still, it seems too convenient and I find it hard to believe that all of Equestria could go to total waste in the time span of less than a season (although this is the same show that gave us Magical Mystery Cure, in which Ponyville turned into a total mess overnight).

 if, as I believe, the tree of harmony is a magical lock keeping a great evil at bay, then the movie villain theory makes perfect sense.tree of harmony would stay intact as long as there is more harmony than chaos, but if there was more chaos than harmony the tree would be destroyed or turn into the tree of disharmony, loosing the great evil locked beneath. each time the timeline was changed to repair itself the multiverse created a new universe was created mirroring that timeline. unfortunately the table was connected to each of these new universes and if the table was connected then so is the tree, for the tree created the table. since the tree is now connected to those chaotic universes the balance of the universe shifted, releasing the great evil. if my theory is correct then in the show the tree of harmony shall be destroyed or turned evil and in the movie this evil being will come forth, for the tree of harmony is still connected to the chaotic universes! ALAS! equestrias last days may be at hand!

[NeonCobalt 256]

I agree with the idea that this is Starlight's alternate reality. But in terms of it being a future villain, whatever he/she did to cause this would have to be reversed, because an apocalyptic final ending is kinda dark for this show.

[Malinter 3,064]

It might be a result of an alternate Starlight going mad with the Time spell.

 

If she couldn't change  the future in Twilight's timeline she may have gone back even further to the events of, say, the first hearthswarming and tampering with that event  and in doing so prevents Equestria from even existing or worse.

 

She triggers another wendigo-level catastrophe that turns everything into the wasteland we see before us.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Malinter

[Twilight Frost 271]

What were those things in season 1 or 2 was it that eat everything in their path until ...parasprites were they called?

 

Maybe they ate everything until there was nothing left?

 

Either that or it was Sombra and the other villains who all keep fighting and fighting and fighting until we end up with an ending similar to this short movie.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfH3MXYF5Xo

 

They just kept fighting and killing each other until...nothing was left.

[Holiday Agnaktor 1,435]

I think everything got eaten by parasprites, in a world where Pinkie didn't leave the rock-farm.

Maybe somepony tried to stop them, and pulled a Twilight on them, and they began eating literally everything again? I don't know.

[Cavatina Operetta 3]

Duh, The parasprites ate everything.

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

I would say Princess Celestia. Like Luna, she became evil, took on the persona of Midnight Sun, and engineered an eternal day, refusing to ever lower the sun again. The constant sun ended up causing desert like conditions to form all over Equestria. Once everything (and everypony) was gone into ashes, the winds, lacking any greenery to break their passage, continued to blow constantly, picking up the dush/ash and so resulting in the dusty, windblown landscape Twilight saw. It's the simplest possibility that doesn't require a new villain. 

[Prysso 0]

I know this is old but one thing nobody has considered yet is what if this future was Cozy Glow's alternate future??.