Sideways Locke by gilead79

We were given clues right away in Season 6 that the Sideways version of the characters were somehow linked with their island selves. (Cuts on Jack, and even his appendix scar). Now, as the season reaches its end, these links are becoming more apparent (thanks to Charlie and Desmond) to some of the characters. This is most noticeable when Sideways Sun arrives at the hospital and freaks out over seeing Locke.

This leads me to this theory...

A popular theory as of late states that the timelines will merge for each individual character and NOT the group as a whole. For instance, Jack will get to choose a life where he has a son. Sawyer can choose a life where he is a cop rather than a conman and so on. It is all about whoever is willing to make a sacrifice...that person will remain on the island to "replace Jacob."

That's the plan, anyway...I see one monekeywrench: What in the hell will happen when Sideways Locke becomes meshed with Island Locke?

Island Locke is by all purposes dead. Sure, I know that Island Libby is dead, too but she did not have a living self on the island when Jughead was detonated. So her Sideways self would obviously see events from the island up until her death. But by Locke still being on the island and overtaken by Smokey, one has to wonder what will happen when Sideways Locke and Island Locke merge together.

I believe this has been MIBs plan all along, especially since the detonation of Jughead. I believe he will use this loophole as a way to "escape" the island. If he can't get off PHYSICALLY, then why not try it some other way?...namely by overtaking Locke and manifesting in the future/ALT timeline that he will undoubtedly choose to live in.

Of course, we then ask ourselves how can he be stopped if this is the case? Well, what if Fake Locke isn't really trying to get the candidates to leave the island? What if he is trying to lead them to their deaths as they TRY to escape? With all of the candidates dead, he'd be allowed to leave. He's covering all of his bases this way. This way, he has 2 escape routes.

Of course, if he can't kill ALL of them, then this timeline- jumping plan won't work. That means that someone WILL have to stay behind to take Jacob's place. This will almost certainly be Jack. Think of the conversational, almost political relationship Jacob and MIB had...very similar to that of Locke and Jacob.

This leaves the show ending with all of Locke's above plans failing, still trapped on the island...only this time with Jack.