Music Box Key

Music Box Key
Key information
First appearance	Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom #3 Family Tree
Use	Control a person, animal, or other entity.
Door	Music Box
Creator	Unknown
Current owner	Tyler Locke Kinsey Locke
Previous owner	Chamberlin Locke Mary Locke Rendell Locke Dodge

The Music Box Key is one of the Keys.

History

In 1851, Harland used the Music Box key in Hammersmith's final moments to make him tell Harland and his brothers where Delacotre was.

In 1915, John invokes a secret command of the key on Fiona Locke and gives her subconscious instructions. A few hours later, Fiona, though slightly dazed by the key's effects, used the Music Box Key to make birds hang up the laundry and raccoons to sweep and mop the walkways around Keyhouse. Chamberlin Locke then locked it along with the Music Box along with several other keys in the Vault of Shadows to prevent John Locke from using it to turn the tides of World War I. Unbeknownst to him, Fiona—by John's orders—opens a door to John's room via the Anywhere Key, granting John access to the Vault for himself.

After a fatal stabbing by Henrik Veidt, the key's long-term effect on Fiona dissipates; Fiona herself briefly identifies the true meaning of her previous state before she passes.

Sometime after John's passing, Chamberlin relocated the Music Box Keys with the other Keys inside the Harlequin Wardrobe for greater security.

In October 1927, Mary Locke collected the Music Box Key alongside several other Keys and weapons for her journey to Hell. During the battle against Lucifer's forces, Mary activated the Music Box and compelled the demons to turn on each other, having the demon lord Azazel devour its own horde as a result. After the battle, Fiddler's Green returned the Music Box and its key to Keyhouse for Mary to find when she woke up.

When Rendell Locke, Kim Topher, and Erin Voss went to rescue Duncan Locke from Dodge, Erin used the Music Box to command Dodge to not move while Kim grabbed Duncan. However, Dodge was using the Crown of Shadows and commanded the shadows to cover the ears, unable to here the music, and Dodge had the shadows kill Kim.

The Music Box was found in the Harlequin Wardrobe, along with various other items related to the keys. The Music Box Key and the Music Box was used against the Locke children during February, when Dodge used the Music Box to command the listener to stab someone, presumably to try and force Tyler to reveal the Omega Key's location. Kinsey fell under its control, while Tyler and Bode wore earmuffs to protect themselves from its influence. The Music Box and key went missing after that fight, but Dodge had taken it. When Tyler, suspicious of his friend, Zack, broke into his room, Dodge arrived and activated the Music Box, commanding Tyler to not move. He tried to compel Tyler to tell him where the Omega Key was, but Tyler gave him a deceptively honest answer to prevent Dodge from figuring out the key's location. As Dodge fled Ellie's home with Bode, he commanded Tyler to attack the next person who enters the room, slowing his pursuers.

After Dodge's defeat, Tyler kept the Music Box Key on a keychain with the other reacquired keys.

Netflix Adaptation

Kinsey, Tyler, and Bode find the Music Box Key hidden in the piano at Keyhouse Manor. They at first are unsure of the key's purpose, however, it finally becomes clear that the key is able to control people, however, only the user of the key can issue commands. Kinsey later uses the key to manipulate Eden into falling, and when she reveals the existence of the key to Gabe, he uses it to publicly embarrass Eden in front of the whole canteen.

Gabe later has the possessed Eden break into Keyhouse and steal the Music Box, using it to have Scot Cavendish attack him in order to drive a wedge between the Savini Squad, particularly Kinsey and Scot. When Kinsey expresses her suspicions about the Music Box being used to him, Gabe quickly has Eden return it to her dresser before Duncan checks on it and confirms that its still there. However, while putting the Music Box back, Eden puts the Anywhere Key down on the dresser and has to hide when Duncan checks up on it. As a result, Duncan finds and recovers the Anywhere Key, forcing Eden to flee on foot.

When the possessed Frederik Gideon attacked Keyhouse Manor with his henchmen James Bolton and Samuel Coffey to steal all the keys, Tyler Locke uses the music box and orders Bolton to drop his gun and run into the well house. After that he tries to help Nina, who is struggling with Gideon. However, the latter knocks the music box out of Tyler's hand before he can speak an order to him. The music box breaks as a result of the fall, thus also ending its spell on Bolton, just before he crosses the threshold of the well house. The key is later thrown into Gideon's portal along with all of the other keys.

Uses

When this key is inserted into the music box, a small replica of the user appears and repeats the user's command. Any listeners are compelled to follow the music box's orders. The magic also applies to non-human beings, such as animals and demons. The hypnotic spell of the music box will not work if its target cannot hear the music (e.g. covering their ears, or is deaf).

The key can register a hidden command if the user utters "fermata", placing their target in a prolonged trance subliminally in the user's control, even while the music box is used by someone else.

The music box cannot be issued orders by anyone other than the one who put the key into the box, however.

Guide to the Known Keys entry

"...He was dying fast from his injuries and knew it. He said he would go to glory and take his secrets with him. Ulysses said that if our Lord meant to open the Gates of Heaven to a B---- like him, he would prefer to throw in with the Devil. Clint hisses and seemed ready to strike again, but I restrained him. I knew if Hammersmith died, I would likely never see Delacorte again, and so I turned the Key in the Music Box, and the tune began to play. A miniature version of myself turned around and around and sang: ...tell us who paid you for the girl... do it now before you leave this world... Hammersmith's eyes widened, and he began to speak..."

Trivia

• Hallea Jones, the actress who plays Eden Hawkins in the Netflix series, stated in an interview that the Music Box Key is her least favorite Key.
• The Music Box Key possesses some similarities to the Orchestra Key; in which both keys have a music themed design and both go into devices that play music and sound.

Info

• 9 Appearances by Music Box Key.
• 11 Images featuring Music Box Key.